Deaths at football match

[Maireadhoey]

They have completely lost the plot....

CAIRO (AP) -- A medic in a morgue in Port Said, Egypt, says 35 people have been killed in violence following a soccer match after fans flooded the field seconds after the match with a rival team was over.

2 Ahly Fans killed, Ekramy injured | El Masry Hooligans invade the stadium

[aykalam]

and now they set Cairo stadium on fire!!!!

[marimar]

Egypt football violence kills 73: medics
Riots after a football match on Wednesday in Egypt's Port Said left 73 people dead, medics said.
Doctors in four hospitals told AFP that the death toll had reached 73, as ambulances continued to ferry in the injured from the stadium.
Some of the deaths were the result of stab wounds, the doctors said.
A security official said the violence erupted as soon as the referee blew the final whistle in the match between Al-Ahly and Al-Masri clubs.
Fans of Al-Masri, which beat Al-Ahly 3-0, invaded the pitch and began to throw rocks, bottles and fireworks at the Al-Ahly fans.
Meanwhile in the capital, a fire broke out at Cairo Stadium during the first half of a match between Zamalek and Ismaili clubs, prompting officials to cancel the match.
Emergency services have managed to control the blaze, a security official said.

[ArabianNights]

Oh my God, Egypt is becoming like a blood bath now.... First people die taking elevators, now people dying at football matches, then dogs are being poisoned... what else?

[MaidenScotland]

Cairo opera house has declared it will be closed for 3 days mourning.. I find it very strange that the opera house does this every time there is a murder and it is murder. Do they do it for genuine reasons or are they trying to ward off attacks?

[CatMandoo]

What a tragedy!!


The trouble started in the second half of the match when a small group of Ahly fans raised a banner insulting their rivals. But many of those present pointed out the conspicuous and near complete absence of security forces and their abandonment of regular protocol in securing football matches as the main culprit behind so many people dying in less than one hour.

Some political actors and commentators are drawing connections between the soccer-related violence and attempts in Parliament to put an end to the State of Emergency, which Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi recently said would only be applied to acts of “thuggery.”

“What happened cannot be a coincidence. This massacre and three armed robberies happened only one day after the Interior Minister came to Parliament trying to convince us of the importance of maintaining the State of Emergency,” Ziad El-Elaimy, an MP with the Social Democratic Party, said in a post-match television interview.

Eye witnesses confirm that security was largely absent when the Masry fans stormed the field. They also claim that security forces allowed Masry fans to enter the visiting team’s stands.

“Security forces are supposed to secure the fans’ exits with an iron fist. Protocol calls for them to close all gates leading to the visiting team’s fans until they are sure of their security,” said Adel Aql, a football association official, in an interview with ONTV. Aql blamed security forces’ handling of the situation for the large number of deaths.

“This is a massacre. I’ve never seen as many dead bodies in one place at one time out of all the wars I’ve witnessed,” said Port Said MP Al-Badry Farghaly in a television interview.

Farghaly confirmed reports that the Port Said governor and the city’s head of security did not attend the match, which is uncommon for matches between the two teams, who have a long rivalry.

Health Ministry: At least 73 killed in clashes after Egypt soccer match | Egypt Independent

[Pomegranite]

What a waste of life Didn't they do almost the same thing when they played a match against Algeria a couple years ago. People are dying for freedom and then we have ppl dying for a sport

[Maireadhoey]

What a terrible waste of life. Egypt is again making headline news all around the world for all the wrong reasons.I have a bad feeling about what the reaction to this will be on the streets, it often only takes a small spark to set things off and this is a really big spark. Judging by the reactions on twitter we are in for a long weekend.

[crewmeal]

When will it all end? This once great nation that could hold it's head up high in the eyes of the world has now sunk to an all time low. Death and destruction shows no bounds and there is nothing any group can do to save it.

Is this another nation that will eventually rely on peacekeepers?