At least eight fans were killed and 38 were hurt in a stampede at Cameroon's Yaounde Olembe Stadium on Monday, the government said in a statement. The stampede occurred prior to the host nation's Round of 16 African Cup of Nations match against Comoros.
In a statement, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the continent's soccer governing body, stated that it was conducting an investigation.
"CAF is currently investigating the situation and attempting to elicit additional information about what occurred. We are in constant contact with the government of Cameroon and the local organizing committee," the statement stated.
According to a Cameroonian government official who spoke to the Associated Press, at least eight people died, with the possibility of more.
Naseri Paul Biya, governor of Cameroon's central region, disclosed to AP that they are currently not in a position to provide information regarding the total number of casualties.
Crowds reportedly surged to enter Olembe Stadium before the gates closed, necessitating the treatment of numerous people.
Following a low turnout for the first-round games at brand new stadiums built for the continent's premier men's soccer tournament, Cameroon authorities opened stadium gates, organized mass transportation, and distributed free tickets in an attempt to attract fans.
Cameroon advanced to the quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Comoros.
According to an AP report, a nurse at a Yaounde hospital said that some of the injured were "in desperate condition" and would need to be transferred to a more specialized facility.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the CAF restricted attendance at Cup of Nations matches.
The majority of matches were capped at 60% of the capacity of the host stadium, while matches involving Cameroon were capped at 80%. The Olembe Stadium is listed as having a capacity of 60,000.
Many in Cameroon, where only 2.5% of the population is fully vaccinated (according to a World Health Organization report), have been unable to attend matches due to entry policies.
The CAF announced last month that fans would be admitted to stadiums only if they were fully vaccinated and could produce a negative PCR test performed within the last 72 hours or a negative rapid antigen test performed within the last 24 hours.
The incident on Monday occurred just one day after another tragedy in the capital.
Based on a government statement, at least 16 people were killed when a fire ripped through a nightclub early Sunday. Eight more people sustained serious injuries and are being treated in intensive care.
