Guinea Rights Groups Claim Over 135 Fatalities in Stadium Crush, Surpassing Official Toll

Human rights organizations in Guinea assert their belief that more than 135 football supporters, primarily children, perished in a stadium crush on Sunday. This figure, which remains unverified, significantly exceeds the official death count of 56. The groups stated that their estimate was compiled from information obtained from hospitals, cemeteries, witnesses present at the stadium, victims’ families, mosques, churches, and local media. They also indicated that over 50 additional individuals are still unaccounted for. However, the military government has issued a caution against disseminating “unverified” information, noting that its investigations into the tragedy in Nzérékoré, the country’s second-largest city, are ongoing. Justice Minister Yaya Kaïraba Kaba announced that he had ordered the initiation of a judicial inquiry targeting the alleged perpetrators. He warned that anyone disseminating “unverified or malicious information” would be arrested and prosecuted. The fatal incident followed a controversial refereeing decision during the match, which ignited violence. Police responded by deploying tear gas as people attempted to flee. Nevertheless, the rights groups attributed the deaths to the game’s organizers and Guinea’s ruling military junta, who had arranged the tournament in honor of President Mamady Doumbouya. The collective of rights groups in Nzérékoré reported an excessive deployment of tear gas in a confined space, further adding that vehicles transporting officials leaving the stadium also struck citizens attempting to escape. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mamadou Oury Bah declared three days of national mourning for the victims. Government spokesman Ousmane Gaoual informed the local Guineenews site that the nation was “in mourning and we must respect the mourning of Guinea and the families” when questioned about the number of victims. He was quoted as saying, “The government announces provisional figures and someone comes up with other figures, where is the contradiction? We didn’t say that these are final figures.” Earlier, a local journalist in Nzérékoré told the BBC that the stadium had been “packed to the rafters” with thousands of people before the deadly incident. Paul Sakouvogi stated that the stadium had “only one exit… which was very small,” where the crush occurred as people tried to flee. Guinea is among several African nations currently barred from hosting international football matches due to non-compliance with international standards. Other countries prohibited from such matches by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) include Ethiopia, Gambia, Chad, and Sierra Leone. For additional news from the African continent, visit BBCAfrica.com. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa, or on Instagram at bbcafrica. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.