Yaoundé stadium disaster

On 24 January 2022, at least eight people were killed in a crowd crush at the south entrance of Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The incident occurred as fans were attempting to enter the arena to watch a football match between Cameroon and the Comoros at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.[1][2]

Yaoundé stadium disaster
The stadium 15 days before the disaster
Date24 January 2022
VenueOlembe Stadium
LocationYaoundé, Cameroon
Coordinates03°57′03″N 11°32′26″E / 3.95083°N 11.54056°E / 3.95083; 11.54056
Deaths8
Non-fatal injuries38

Details

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Before the fourth match in the knockout stage between hosts Cameroon and the Comoros, which kicked off at 20:00 on 24 January 2022 at the Olembe Stadium, a crush developed at the south entrance to the stadium. Security officers directed fans towards a locked entrance gate. When the gate was opened, a surge of people came through and trampled each other, killing eight. 38 others were injured, with seven in critical condition.[3]

Aftermath

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Following the event, the quarter-final match scheduled to take place at Olembe Stadium the following week was relocated to Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Kouam, Joel; McCluskey, Mitchell; Klosok, Aleks (24 January 2022). "AFCON: Report into deadly stadium crush will focus on who closed gate that led to loss of lives". CNN. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Afcon 2021: Quarter-final at Olembe Stadium to be moved after fatal crush". BBC Sport. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  3. ^ Wilson, Jonathan; Ames, Nick (25 January 2022). "'Why did people have to die?': Cameroon mourns after stadium tragedy". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 January 2022.