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12 die in soccer stampede

    JOHANNESBURG

    Twelve soccer fans were killed on Sunday in a stampede after police fired teargas at bottle-throwing fans during a World Cup qualifier between South Africa and Zimbabwe in Harare.

    News reports quoted a hospital spokesman as saying the 12 victims were dead on arrival while four others were in critical condition and many others were injured. Part of the 50,000-crowd hurled missiles on to the pitch after South Africa scored a second goal in the 84th minute of the game, giving the visitors a 2-0 lead.

    Police fired teargas into the stands, causing a scramble among the fans at the National Stadium for the exit. The game was called off with 10 minutes left, but the visitors' victory was ruled official.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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