On a quiet Sunday afternoon in Guinea, a soccer match turned into tragedy. The streets of Nzérékoréko, West Africa's second-largest city, were terrorized by a soccer match. Rumor has it that at least a hundred people were killed, hospitals and morgues were overwhelmed, and bodies were piling up.
Pictures on the Internet reveal the chaotic scene: outside the stadium, the streets are covered with bodies and in a state of disarray. According to eyewitnesses at the scene, the trigger for all this was a controversial decision by a referee. Angry fans stormed the stadium and clashed with supporters of the opposing team, sending rocks flying. The police intervened, applying tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd, however, during the evacuation, the crush of the crowd led to tragedy, with people being trampled to death.
Local medics said bodies were piled up on the floor of hospital corridors, while the morgue had long been at capacity. The race was reportedly held to honor military government leader Dumbuya, who since coming to power in a September 2021 coup, was actively preparing for presidential elections and preparing a political coalition. Such races have been held frequently in the recent past, but were not expected to turn into such a tragedy.
