A stadium stampede in the Iraqi city of Basra has left one dead and dozens injured, the country’s state news agency has reported.
Stampede ahead of Gulf Cup final
The incident took place ahead of the 2023 Gulf Cup final between Iraq and Oman, which is due to be held later on Thursday at Basra International Stadium.
It is the first time since 1979 that Iraq has hosted the biennial soccer tournament, which involves the eight member nations of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation.
Along with Iraq and Oman, the competing countries are Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
“Critical cases among injured”
According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), one person has been killed and 60 have been injured in the stampede.
A medical source told INA: “There are critical cases among the injured.”
Final to go ahead as scheduled – Iraqi FA
Images shared on social media appeared to show a major crush at one of the entrances to the Basra International Stadium, a 65,000-capacity arena built in 2013.
According to police sources and eyewitnesses, tens of thousands of fans had begun to gather outside the stadium overnight, ahead of a match due to kick off at 7pm local time on Thursday (11am ET).
In a statement issued to INA in the wake of the stampede, the Iraqi Football Association has confirmed that the fixture will still go ahead as scheduled.
Iraq’s minister of interior, Abdul Amir Al-Shammari, has announced that the gates to the stadium are now closed and no more fans will be allowed inside the arena, which he said was full.
Per a video seen by CNN, the section reserved for Oman supporters remains empty. They are expected to arrive later on Thursday.
.