Rights NGOs put stampede death toll at Guinea football stadium at 135

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Violence and a stampede at a football stadium in southeastern Guinea left 135 people dead and 50 missing, human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) said Tuesday, revising the official toll upwards.

The deadly incident occurred Sunday during the final match of a local football tournament at a stadium in Guinea’s second-largest city, Nzerekore, about 570 kilometers (354 miles) from the capital Conakry.

Two rights NGOs operating in the region of Nzerekore -- Mêmes Droit pour Tous, (Same rights for all) and the Guinean Organization for the Defense of Human Rights -- disputed the official figure of 56 dead announced Monday by the government.

“According to information gathered at the regional hospital of Nzerekore, from supporters present at the stadium, from neighborhood chiefs regarding burials in cemeteries on Dec. 2, in mosques and churches, from the parents of victims and in the local press, it is estimated that 135 people -- mostly children under 18 years old -- died at the stadium,” the statement said in part.

“During this event, several people were also injured and more than 50 others are missing.”

Prime Minister Amadou Bah Oury said in a statement that investigations will be carried out to establish responsibility for the incident.

He attributed the incident to demonstrations of dissatisfaction with the refereeing decisions which led to stones being thrown by the fans, causing the deadly stampede.

The organizations called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the tournament organizers.

It was the final match of a tournament sponsored by Guinea’s President Gen. Mamady Doumbouya.