Fans, angry at not being able to get in to watch a Salvadoran soccer league game, broke down one of the stadium’s gates, crushing some people and causing an unspecified number of injuries, according to local authorities. The incident occurred on Saturday night. A similar tragedy had not occurred in the Central American country.
On the night of Saturday, May 20, at the Estadio Monumental de Cuscatlán, located in the country’s capital, a quarterfinal match was played between the Alianza and Futbolistas Asociados Santanecos (FAS) clubs.
In the place, considered one of the largest stadiums in Central America, (with a capacity of more than 44,000 fans), the match would begin at 7:30 pm local time. However, according to versions of the fans, the doors of the venue were closed at 7:00 pm, and many fans stayed outside.
“They left us outside, with our tickets in hand. The people got angry. We asked them to let us in, but they didn’t, so they broke down the door,” said Alianza team fan José Ángel Penado.
At that moment, some people, who were in the stands and saw what was happening, tried to get the attention of those who were on the field: players and coaching staff, police, press and even water bearers. They used their hands, threw objects, and yelled.
The match was stopped immediately. Only 16 minutes of play had elapsed. At the same time, others began carrying the wounded from the tunnel to the field for medical help.
Local television broadcast live footage of the stampede’s aftermath, which appeared to be mostly from Alianza fans.
Those who managed to escape the crush helped the people lying on the grass who were barely moving.
“It was a terrifying night. I never thought something like this would happen to me. Fortunately I only have a few bruises… but not everyone was lucky,” Alianza fan Tomás Renderos said as he left a hospital where he received medical attention.
In the most recent update on the event, the director of the National Civil Police (PNC), Mauricio Arriaza, told the local press that the number of fatalities rose to 12: “nine people lost their lives at the site of the tragedy and three more in hospitals”.
“We regret this incident in which there are deaths. As a police institution we inform that together with the @FGR_SV We’re going to get down to the last details of a criminal investigation into tonight’s incident.”@Director_PNC pic.twitter.com/0q2CGJGCw0
— PNC El Salvador (@PNCSV) May 21, 2023
According to the Ministry of Health, during the day of the stampede, First aid care was provided to 500 people and at least 90 were transferred to hospitals.
“Both female and male patients, including minors, have mostly been treated for multiple traumas. Most of them are stable and at the moment we do not report intra-hospital deaths ”, published the Minister of Health, Francisco Alabi on his Twitter account.
The @PNCSV and the @FGR_SV will carry out an exhaustive investigation of the events that occurred in the Cuscatlán Stadium.
Everyone will be investigated: teams, managers, stadium, ticket office, league, federation, etc.
Whoever the culprits are, they will not go unpunished.
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) May 21, 2023
Before midnight on Saturday, President Nayib Bukele made his official statement on social networks, assuring that “A thorough investigation will be conducted.”
Mauricio Arriza Chicas, commissioner of the National Civil Police, had also previously mentioned judicial processes: “VWe are going to investigate from ticket sales, tickets to the stadium, but especially the southern zone”, he said.
shows of solidarity
The Salvadoran Football Federation (Fesfut) wrote in a statement that it regretted what happened and said that “it will immediately request a report on what happened and will communicate what is relevant in the shortest possible time.”
The president of the National Institute of Sports (INDES) and brother of President Bukele, Yamil Bukele, expressed his solidarity with “all the families that today have lost a loved one in this sad event. We have convened an extraordinary meeting of the Steering Committee of INDES (the sponsor of the Salvadoran Major League tournament)”.
The Salvadoran League teams expressed their condolences from their social networks.
“Today the colors do not exist and, for the good of the sport that we are all passionate about, we hope that this does not happen again,” published the FAS, the visiting team of the match that was finally suspended.
For its part, Fesfut confirmed the suspension of the two games this Sunday in which the quarterfinals were to be played and warned of an urgent meeting with its Sports Venue Safety Commission.
It is not the first time in football stadiums in the region
One of the worst events of this type in the recent record was at the National Stadium in Lima, on May 24, 1964, the day the qualifying game for the Olympics between Argentina and Peru was being played.
The discontent of the fans over a decision by the referee caused clashes between the fans and the police, and left a balance of 320 dead and a thousand injured.
Two years later, in June 1968, 71 Boca Juniors fans were crushed to death at the end of a match at the River Plate stadium, in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires.
ON May 28, 2017, five people died and at least 26 were injured after, in the middle of a hectic day, the police decided to open the gate of the Chelato Uclés stadium. Hundreds of fans will pounce causing a stampede.
With EFE, AP and Reuters.
