At least eight people have been killed and 38 injured in a stampede at a stadium during the African Cup in Cameroon.
The stampede took place in the Round of 16 match between Cameroon and Comoros in the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Photos shared on social media show large crowds trying to enter through the narrow entrances to the recently built Yonde Olambe Stadium, which could be the cause of a stampede. ۔
Another video showed people climbing over the stadium fence and entering.
The incident is a big blow to the event which was gaining immense popularity among the people after some upset competitions but the management had to face severe criticism and pressure due to lack of preparation before the start of the event.
Despite the opening of the event, construction work was underway on a stadium with a capacity of 60,000 spectators, which prompted the Confederation of African Football to call an emergency meeting and cancel the event.
"I tried to enter the stadium with a friend, but it was very crowded and the staff was busy checking people's tickets," said Vanessa Tachonzi, a schoolteacher who came to watch the match.
"Suddenly the spectators ran to the front door where my friend and I fell. A man helped me to get up but my friend was crushed to death in the stampede," he said.
The Confederation of African Football said in a statement that it was "investigating" the incident and was "gathering as much information as we can".
So far, the government has not provided any information on the cause of the incident, nor has it stated whether spectators were allowed to enter the stadium without tickets.
It is not yet clear why the match was held despite the accident.
In that match, Cameron defeated Comoros 0-10.
It may be recalled that in the first round of the tournament, keeping in view the low number of spectators at the new stadium, the management arranged for transport to bring a large number of people to the stadium and also distributed free tickets.
