Death toll in Cameroon Stadium crash at 8 as safety is questioned

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YAOUNDE, Cameroon – The death toll in a stampede outside an African Cup of Nations football tournament match in Cameroon has risen to eight, as witnesses accused security officials of made fatal mistakes and competition organizers decided on Tuesday to suspend all other games at the stadium pending an investigation.

Seven other people were in serious condition in hospital after the crush on Monday night during the match between Cameroon and Comoros at the Olembe stadium in the capital, Yaounde.

The African football body has moved the next match to be played at Olembe on Sunday to another stadium in Yaoundé. The last two games at Olembe, a semi-final and the final of the African football championship on February 6, could also be moved.

“I have given the local organizing committee … until Friday to tell me who was responsible for the accident, who shares responsibility and the additional safety and security measures taken to protect supporters from football, players and match officials,” said Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football, which organizes the African Cup alongside local organizers in the host country.

“Our priority is the safety of people and if we are not sure that the stadium provides this safety, we will not accept any more matches to be played there,” he said.

The death toll rose after two more fans were pronounced dead outside Messassi Hospital, police said. Those injured were first rushed to this nearby hospital by police and civilians trying to help. The hospital is quickly overwhelmed.

A total of 38 people were injured in the stampede. The other 31 people had minor to moderate injuries. The injured are now being treated in four different hospitals, Communication Minister René Sadi said. On Tuesday morning, people gathered at hospitals looking for missing family members.

The crush arose when football fans struggled to enter the stadium to watch the home side play in a highly anticipated knockout tie at Africa’s biggest football tournament. The tragedy may have been linked to fans trying to avoid COVID-19 checks. Organizers have made it compulsory for fans to show proof of negative virus tests and to be vaccinated against COVID-19 if they want to attend African Cup matches. They have to go through this health check as well as security checks at the stadiums.

Local TV stations broadcast footage showing people jumping over security barriers to avoid checks and there are reports that police and security were overwhelmed. The Cameroonian government said 57,000 people were at the stadium as crowds had to be limited to a maximum of 40,000 because of the virus. Olembe has a capacity of 60,000 places.

A witness said the stampede at the southern entrance to the stadium happened after fans were directed by security guards to an entrance gate which was locked. The door was eventually opened, the witness said, causing a wave and people being trampled on. Children were caught up in the stampede, the witness said.

“When the security guys finally started to open the doors, with all the anxiety and after being locked in…people pushed the security guys back and forced their way inside” , said the witness, Marie-Thérèse Asongafack. “That’s where it all started… By the time I got to the front, there were people on the ground getting trampled.”

Medical help was not immediately available, “so people were just trying their basic first aid on the victims,” ​​Asongafack said. “I saw a child under 10, dead. Guys were trying to revive him.”

African football body chairman Motsepe said in a press conference later on Tuesday that the initial investigation would focus on why that stadium gate had been closed.

“Who closed this door? And why did they close that door? he said.

World football body FIFA issued a statement expressing its “sincere condolences” to the families and friends of the victims. FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended the Africa Cup opening ceremony at the Olembe stadium two weeks ago.

Cameroonian President Paul Biya has also ordered an investigation into the tragedy, which came a day after at least 17 people died after a fire triggered a series of explosions at a nightclub in Yaoundé.

The Central African nation is hosting the Africa Cup for the first time in 50 years and its preparations have come under intense scrutiny. Cameroon was supposed to host the tournament in 2019, but it was transferred to Egypt due to preparation problems at the Cameroonian stadium.

The main stadium in Olembe was one of the arenas which concerned the organizers and serious concerns were still being raised a few months ago.

Matches are also played in four other cities. Organizers said the tournament would continue as scheduled later on Tuesday with the last 16 between Senegal and Cape Verde and Morocco and Malawi.

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