At least twelve people died this Saturday in a escape of the fans who came to Cuscatlan Stadium in San Salvador to watch a local soccer tournament match between Alianza and FAS, that Central American country’s National Civil Police (PNC) reported.
“Preliminarily we have a negative result of twelve victimsnine who are here at the stadium and three others that we have been told are in different hospitals,” PNC director Mauricio Arriaza told the press.
Furthermore, after increasing the number of victims from the initial nine to the twelve that had been counted in the early hours of this Sunday, he indicated: “Salvadoran football is in mourning.”
In addition to the people who lost their lives, add others injured. “At least 2 of them are in critical condition”the police added.
According to the security agency, “the first reports indicate a flight of fans who tried to enter to watch the match between Alianza and FAS”.
The meeting was suspended while relief forces evacuated people from the scene, in an operation involving hundreds of police officers and military personnel.
He the atmosphere was disconcerting around the stadium where the intense wail of ambulance sirens predominated, AFP confirmed.
In the midst of the emergency, the Minister of Health, Francisco Alabí, assured that in the hospital network “they are providing medical assistance to all patients”.
The spokesman of the Comandos de Salvamento rescue group, Carlos Fuentes, declared in the first instance that there were seven men and two women. The balance went up twelve dead hours later.
As for the people helped, he said that “more than 500 attentions are being handled preliminarily” which are concentrated in the “popular sun” sector of the stadium, with a capacity of about 35,000 people, located in the southwestern sector of San Salvador.
The 100 people in the most serious conditions were transferred to national hospitals and the Salvadoran Social Security Institute, some showing signs of suffocation and others “traumas of different kinds”.
Regarding the onset of the crash, Fuentes said that “Apparently one of the gates fell off from the sector of the sun and which made people crowd”.
Players from the teams due to meet in the quarter-finals of the local soccer tournament banded together to care for the injured inside the stadium.
Nayib Bukele promised ‘exhaustive investigation’
Nayib Bukele said an investigation was underway to establish who was responsible. “The PNC and the prosecutor’s office will carry out a thorough investigation into the events that occurred in the Cuscatlán stadium,” El Salvador’s president said on Twitter.
“Everyone will be investigated: teams, managers, Stadium, ticket office, League, Federation, etc”, he added. In parallel, he warned that “anyone the guilty, he will not go unpunished“.
In a statement, the Salvadoran federation (Fesfut) said it “deeply regrets” the events that took place at the Cuscatlán stadium. Likewise, the organization “showed solidarity” with the relatives of those “affected and deceased” in the accident.
“FESFUT will immediately request a report on what happened and communicate what is relevant as soon as possible,” he said.
With information from AFP.
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Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.