Nine Die, Many Injured in El Salvador Stadium Stampede

Nine persons have died in a stampede at an El Salvador stadium where soccer fans had gathered to watch a local tournament, police said.

“The number of deaths after the stampede at the Cuscatlan Stadium amounts to nine,” the National Civil Police posted on Twitter.

The security agency also noted that “several” injured people, including at least two in critical condition, were being taken to nearby hospitals.

The Police said initial reports point to a crush of fans who tried to enter the stadium in the Central American country’s capital San Salvador to watch a match between teams Alianza and FAS.

El Salvador’s Interior Minister, Juan Carlos Bidegain said the civil protection service’s first responders were on the scene and attending to people impacted by the incident.

The tragedy comes seven months after 135 people including more than 40 children died in a stampede following a football match in Malang, Indonesia.

AFP / Titilayo Kupoliyi