A three-day national mourning period has been declared for the victims of a deadly stadium stampede in southeastern Guinea.
The government announced that the mourning period was declared in memory of the 56 people who lost their lives in the stampede during the General Mamadi Doumbouya Football Tournament, held in N’Zerekore, about 850 kilometers from Conakry.
A delegation led by Prime Minister Bah Oury has traveled to N’Zerekore to investigate the incident.
The violence broke out on Sunday during a match between the N’Zerekore and Labe teams, after the referee awarded a penalty to the home team. This decision sparked clashes within the stadium.
To control the situation, police used tear gas to disperse Labe supporters who were attacking the referee, and the fans retaliated by throwing stones at the officers.
The resulting stampede claimed the lives of 56 people, including children, and left hundreds more injured.