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Soccer stampede kills 43 S. Africans
©Associated Press © St. Petersburg Times, published April 12, 2001 JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Fans stampeded at a packed soccer stadium in Johannesburg on Wednesday night, killing 43 people and injuring more than 150 others, officials said. Two of the dead were children. The stampede occurred during a match between two popular teams at Ellis Park Stadium. Witnesses said the stadium was vastly overcrowded and erupted into chaos after the Orlando Pirates scored a goal against Premier League rival Kaizer Chiefs. "That's when everything happened," said stadium security guard Louis Shipalana, 42. "The stadium was full. There was no place to stand. The people were pushing toward the fence (around the field), and the fence collapsed and the people in the back stepped on those in front." Emergency officials said some of the victims died at the fence surrounding the field and others at a fence at the entrance to the stadium. The stadium, which seats 62,000, was so full that organizers had to shut the gates with thousands of fans still waiting outside, said Robin Petersen, a Premier League official. Those fans shoved through the fence, breaking it in four places, he said. He said security was insufficient to handle the crowd. A total of 43 people were killed, 29 inside the stadium and 14 outside, said Sgt. Amanda Roestoff, a police spokeswoman. Two of the dead were children, she said. Earlier, Sport Minister Ngconde Balfour said between 47 and 50 people died. "We're stunned, we're shocked and we're sending our condolences to those families," Balfour said. "Whatever will need to be done we'll do." The South African Press Association reported at least 155 fans were injured. Most suffered fractured ribs and other broken bones, SAPA quoted emergency services spokesman Rodney Eksteen as saying. Security guards reportedly had earlier fired tear gas at people stampeding outside the stadium, according to 702 radio. Security guard Petrus Saayman, 22, said he rushed to help a teenage girl trapped in a fence. "The girl, she broke her neck or something. When I came there, she was already dead," he said. The match was canceled after about 34 minutes of play with the score tied at 1-1. President Thabo Mbeki's office promised an urgent inquiry into the tragedy to ensure it was not repeated. "On behalf of the entire nation, the president conveyed condolences to the families of the bereaved," according to a statement from Mbeki's office. The Chiefs and the Pirates are major rivals and their matches are wildly popular among South Africa soccer fans. "This match is bigger than Manchester United vs. Liverpool," South African soccer player Mark Fish told the BBC, referring to a prominent rivalry between two British teams. "People would travel 300 to 400 miles for the game hoping to get tickets on the day," he said. The fatal stampede was one of the worst sporting accidents in South Africa's history. Just over 10 years ago, another contest in this fabled rivalry ended in the death of 40 spectators who were killed when fans of the Chiefs and Pirates began brawling over a call by the referee. For South Africa, the deaths here in the country's biggest city are a blow to efforts to lure the World Cup. Since narrowly losing its bid to host the the event in 2006, South Africa has emerged as the favorite for 2010, as soccer's governing body looks to make good on a pledge to finally stage the cup in Africa. - Information from the New York Times was used in this report.
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