A soccer stadium in southern Guinea became the site of a devastating tragedy on Sunday when 56 people, including several children, were killed in a stampede following clashes between fans, the Associated Press reports.
The incident occurred during the final match of a local tournament between teams from Labe and Nzerekore at the Stade de Nzérékoré. The tournament was being held in honor of the country's military leader, Mamadi Doumbouya.
Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah confirmed the incident on X, stating that regional authorities were working to restore calm in the area. Communications Minister Fana Soumah announced in a statement broadcast on national television that authorities have launched an investigation to identify those responsible for the stampede.
Local news website Media Guinea reported that the violence erupted after a disputed penalty decision, which angered supporters who began throwing stones. Security forces responded by deploying tear gas, contributing to the chaos that followed.
Video footage from the scene showed fans protesting the referee's decision before clashes broke out, with people pouring onto the field. Many attempted to escape by jumping over the stadium's high fence. Additional footage revealed numerous injured people being treated at a local hospital, where some victims remain in critical condition.
Guinea: About 100 people were killed in a football match in the city of Nzérékoré, near the border with Liberia.
According to reports following the match, severe fights broke out between the fans of the two teams, and many were injured during a mass stampede. pic.twitter.com/wf2qPjcjcI
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The National Alliance for Alternation and Democracy, an opposition coalition, has called for an investigation into the incident. The coalition criticized the tournament's organization, suggesting it was intended to build support for what they termed the "illegal and inappropriate" political ambitions of the military leadership.
Guinea has been under military rule since 2021, when soldiers led by Doumbouya removed President Alpha Conde from power. The country joins several other West African nations, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, where military leaders have assumed control and delayed transitions to civilian governance.
