A stampede at a soccer stadium in El Salvador on Saturday left 12 people dead and hundreds of others injured, officials said.
The deadly crush happened as fans reportedly pushed through an access gate during a Salvadoran league quarterfinal match between clubs Alianza and FAS at Monumental stadium in Cuscatlan.
“El Salvador is in mourning,” said a statement from the press office of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
Carlos Fuentes, spokesman for the first aid group Rescue Commandos, said aid workers attended to more than 500 people and that more than 100 were taken to hospitals, some with serious injuries.
“People got angry. We asked them to let us in, but no. So they knocked the gate down,” Penado said.
A commotion in the stands began just 16 minutes into the match, with fans waving frantically as others carried the injured out of a tunnel and down to the pitch. The match was subsequently suspended.
An injured fan in carried to the field of Cuscatlan stadium in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Saturday. Officials said more than 100 people were hospitalized. (AP Photo/Milton Flores)
A volunteer with a first aid group described the chaos to journalists as an “avalanche” of fans who apparently burst through a gate into the stadium.
Bodies are covered with a blanket at the field of Cuscatlan stadium in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Saturday. Officials said the events of the disaster will be investigated and those responsible will be punished. (AP Photo/Milton Flores)
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele tweeted that there will be an “exhaustive investigation” of the disaster.
“Everyone will be investigated: teams, managers, stadium, ticket office, league, federation, etc,” Bukele wrote. “Whoever the culprits are, they will not go unpunished.”
The Salvadoran Soccer Federation said in a statement that it regretted what had happened and voiced support for the victims’ families.
