Over 100 killed in stampede after football fans clash in Guinea, tragedy caught on video: ‘Morgue is full’

Several people died after clashes broke out between football fans during a match in Guinea on Sunday. The football match in Guinea’s N’Zerekore turned violent after a contested decision by referee sparked outrage among fans.

According to a doctor, dozens of people were killed in Sunday’s football match clashes, whereas another doctor told Agence France-Presse that over “100 people were dead” in the incident.

“There are bodies lined up as far as the eye can see in the hospital. Others are lying on the floor in the hallways. The morgue is full,” AFP quoted a doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. The doctor said that around “100 dead”, with bodies filling the local hospital and morgue.

The clashes which broke out on the football field further aggravated when angry demonstrators vandalised and set fire to the N’Zerekore police station, reported AFP citing witnesses.

“It all started with a contested decision by the referee. Then fans invaded the pitch,” a witness told AFP, asking that his name be withheld for safety reasons.

What led to clashes in Guinea?

The match was held as a part of a tournament organised in honour of Guinea’s junta leader, Mamadi Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup and has installed himself as president.

One of the witnesses said that the clashes erupted after a referee’s decision irked the public, resulting in fans invading the football field

Such tournaments have become common in the West African nation as Doumbouya sees a potential run in future presidential elections and political alliances form.

Prime Minister Bah Oury of Guinea condemned the violence and said that the regional authorities are working to restore calm and serenity among the population.

“The government deplores the incidents that marred the football match between the Labe and Nzerekore teams this afternoon in Nzerekore,” read a post by Prime Minister Bah Oury of Guinea on X.

“The government is monitoring the development of the situation and reiterates its call for calm so that hospital services are not hindered in providing first aid to the injured,” the post added.