El Salvador stadium stampede kills nine

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Nine people died Saturday in El Salvador during a stampede of fans who tried to enter the Cuscatlan stadium in the capital San Salvador, to attend a first division soccer match, announced the police. 

The crowd movement claimed “nine victims”, wrote the National Civil Police on Twitter. Several other people were injured and taken to hospital, including at least two in “critical condition”, she added.

De forma preliminar reportamos 3 fallecidos en uno de los accesos a sol general, del Estadio Cuscatlán.

Las primeras informaciones apuntan a una estampida de aficionados que trató de entrar a ver el partido entre Alianza y FAS.

— PNC El Salvador (@PNCSV) May 21, 2023

According to initial information from the police, the stampede was started by fans who tried to enter the stadium to attend a league match between the local team Alianza and CD FAS.

The match was interrupted to evacuate the spectators.< /p>

The Minister of Health, Francisco Alabi, assured that “all the patients” transferred were taken care of by the emergency hospital services.

The Minister of the Interior, Juan Carlos Bidegain, indicated that Civil Protection teams were on site to help those affected.

Hundreds of police and soldiers were also dispatched to the stadium.