Sports

One dies, many injured in Argentina stadium stampede

A 57-year-old man, identified as Cesar Regueiro, died on Thursday following violent clashes that started outside a soccer match on the outskirts of Buenos Aires in Argentina before spilling into the Carmelo Zerillo stadium.

It was gathered that a journalist was also injured by rubber bullets while dozens of spectators suffering from the effects of tear gas were taken to hospitals.

Authorities at San Martin hospital in La Plata confirmed the death of Regueiro from cardiac arrest as he was being transferred from the stadium to a hospital.

It was learnt that police operatives fired rubber bullets and tear gas as they attempted to stop fans attending the match between top-flight teams Boca Juniors and Gimnasia y Esgrima from pushing into the already crowded venue.

The unrest outside the Carmelo Zerillo stadium in La Plata, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Argentina’s capital, continued inside, where shocked spectators were seen squeezing through fencing to escape the violence and get onto the field.

“There were about 10,000 people around the stadium trying to get in, some with tickets, some without. Everyone could see that the stadium was very full.

“All this is being investigated, including the actions of the police,” the head of a government agency, Eduardo Aparicio, said.

The referee, Hernan Mastrangelo, added that the game was suspended after nine minutes due to a lack of security.

“It affected all of us on the field. The air became unbreathable. The situation got out of control and there were no security guarantees,” Mastrangelo said.

The Star