Relatives hunt for missing people after deadly Guinea stadium crush

Relatives of missing people are searching hospitals and mortuaries in southern Guinea after a stampede at a football stadium led to 56 deaths.

There are fears the official death toll is too low after chaos erupted in Nzerekore city during a match.

The tragic events took place on Sunday during the final of a national tournament honouring Guinea’s military leader, Mamadi Doumbouya.

Official estimates say 56 people died in the crush, but the unofficial death toll could be as high as 135, according to the Collective of Human Rights Organisations of the Nzerekore region.

More than 50 people remain missing.

The two-week tournament in Nzerekore, more than 600 miles from the capital Conakry, had attracted not just adults and youths, but also children in the football-loving country.

Chaos erupted at the crowded stadium after fans angry over a penalty decision threw stones towards the field, according to witnesses and local media.

Security forces reacted to the disturbance with tear gas as fans poured onto the pitch, survivors said.

While some supporters managed to jump over the high fence to escape, videos from the scene showed many struggling to get through the main stadium entrance, leading to a crush.

Among the dead was Jaquerine Keba Koevogui, 15, whose father said she rarely visited the stadium and, although she loved football, would always prefer to watch it on television.

“My daughter was with other members of the family, mostly boys, who were able to jump over the stadium walls while she tried to get out through the entrance,” said Jules Koevogui, 42.

While videos showed the stadium at full capacity, Cisse Lancine, a local sports journalist, estimated there were between 20,000 and 30,000 spectators.

Rights groups criticised the use of tear gas by authorities and accused the security forces of using their vehicles to obstruct the stadium entrances.

In Conakry and other parts of the country, flags are at half-mast as the country observes three days of mourning.

Nzerekore’s human rights organizations have called for the arrest of the organisers of the tournament.

Authorities said they are investigating the incident, which adds to growing pressure on Mr Doumbouya who, since taking power in 2021, has failed to solve the economic and political challenges he chastised the previous government for.

The United Nations in Guinea has promised a quick response involving humanitarian, medical and psychological support for the victims of the disaster.

“This tragedy is a painful reminder of the crucial importance of ensuring safety in public places,” it said in a statement released on the X platform.

Struggling to process their grief, families are asking questions and looking for ways to prevent a reoccurrence.

“We must now keep our children away from large demonstrations of mobilisation,” said Joel Gbamou, a civil society activist who lost his two sons in the tragedy.