Olembé Stadium tragedy: sports minister condemns 'reckless' move to open gate
A gruesome combination of factors led to the reckless decision to open a gate at the Olembé stadium and unleash the stampede that left eight people dead and 38 injured, Africa Cup of Nations organisers revealed on Friday.
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Fans arriving minutes before the kick-off for Cameroon’s last-16 tie against Comoros along an access road from the south of the city tried to force their way through when a gate was opened.
Lack of security staff and stewards as well as poor communication between the teams exacerbated the problem, said Cameroon’s sports minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, who is also head of the local organising committee.
“Fans hearing the national anthems caused a rush to the security gates of the stadium,” Mouelle Kombi added.
Faced with the pressure on the gates and panicked by what he described as a human tide, the security teams opened the southern entrance of the stadium.
Death toll
"That entry gate was momentarily closed by security forces in the face of a surge of spectators despite other entry gates being in operation," said Mouelle Kombi.
"Overwhelmed by this surge of people, the security forces took the reckless decision to open the south gate, leading to a crush."
Two children were among the dead.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) – which organises the Africa Cup of Nations – launched an inquiry into the tragedy along with the Cameroon government.
Prelinary findings suggest that scores of supporters - some with young children and babies - had gone to the stadium precincts simply to revel in the atmosphere of the game.
Others with used or fake tickets had tried to trick their way in.
Some fans, said the minister, had watched the full 90 minutes of the previous last-16 tie between Guinea and Gambia on TV before heading to Olembé.
Mouelle Kombi added: "This explains the fact that there was a high concentration of people on the roads leading to the stadium, mainly on the central axis coming from Emana even though there were other ways into the sports complex.”
Caf boss Patrice Motsepe has ordered the closure of the 60,000-seat Olembé stadium until he is satisfied it is safe enough to host another tie.
Sunday’s quarter-final between Morocco and Egypt – scheduled for the Olembé – has been switched to the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé.
Friday’s semi-final at the Olembé as well as the final on 6 February are still programmed for the 200-million euro stadium.
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