At least 8 dead in stampede at African Cup of Nations soccer game in Cameroon
By Joel Kouam and Mitchell McCluskey, CNN
At least eight people were killed and 50 people injured after a stampede during an Africa Cup of Nations match in the Cameroonian capital Monday, state broadcaster Cameroon Radio Television reported.
The crush occurred as fans attempted to access Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé to watch the match between Cameroon and Comoros.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF), which organizes the Africa Cup of Nations, said it was aware of the incident.
“CAF is currently investigating the situation in order to obtain more details about these incidents. We are in constant communication with the Cameroonian authorities and the local organizing committee,” a CAF spokesperson said in a statement.
CAF Secretary-General Veron Mosengo-Omba is set to visit the victims in Yaoundé, the statement said.
Monday’s incident came a day after another tragedy in the capital.
At least 16 people were killed when a fire tore through a nightclub early Sunday, according to a government statement. Another eight people were seriously injured and are in intensive care.
At a news conference held at the scene, the director of the Yaoundé Central Hospital said several people were in critical condition.
Explosions from fireworks caused the ceiling at the Liv Nightclub to catch fire, resulting in two strong explosions that caused panic among those in the venue, according to the statement from the Cameroonian Ministry of Communication.
President Paul Biya ordered an in-depth investigation into the incident and sent his condolences to the victims’ families, the government statement added.
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CNN’s Joel Kouam reported from Cameroon and Mitchell McCluskey wrote from Atlanta. CNN’s Nimi Princewill and Schams Elwazer contributed to this report.
