Published on : Modified :
A stampede around the Olembé stadium in Yaoundé, which occurred before the Cameroon-Comoros match counting for the round of 16 of CAN 2022, killed at least 8 people including a 6-year-old child, according to a press release from the nearest hospital to the stadium.
« A scramble at the entrance to the Olembé stadium “made a” half a dozen dead and dozens injured “, announced CRTV, the Cameroonian state television, specifying that the authorities and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) “ follow the situation of the wounded in the hospitals of the city ».
The drama took place at the south entrance of this brand new stadium, just completed for the continental tournament, about an hour before the start of the match between Cameroon and the Comoros, in the round of 16 this CAN 2022.
Many supporters gathered to pass the Covid-19 test controls, then tickets. Many didn’t have one, thinking they would be let in for free, like in first-round matches.
At least 6 to 8 dead, including a 6-year-old child
According to witnesses, faced with the pressure, the police, overwhelmed, then decided to open the gates. And that is what would have caused the crowd movement and the murderous stampede.
The provisional toll is heavy: 6 to 8 dead at least, including a 6-year-old child, according to a press release from the Messassi hospital, the closest to the stadium. There are dozens of injured, some serious, including a baby transported to a specialized hospital. A real scene of chaos with people piled on top of each other, stepping on each other, shouting, crying.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF), which organizes the continent’s flagship competition, released a statement saying it had requested an investigation and remained in constant communication with the Cameroonian government and local organizing committee.
Late in the evening, CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo Omba went to Messassi Hospital, where the majority of the injured were taken.
One of the witnesses to the scene explained to me that it was when the police opened the gates that there was a movement of the crowd which caused all these injuries. There was a lot of tension there.
Nicolas Bamba, special correspondent for RFI