Egypt pitch invasion leaves 50 dead

[dorgie]

f***in' hell.

 

RIP those who died.

 

 

http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16161259

 

 

At least 50 people have been killed after a football pitch invasion in Egypt, according to reports.

Clashes are said to have broken out as fans flooded the field seconds after the game in the northern coastal city of Port Said finished.

 

Health officials said hundreds more had been injured amid reports of rocks, bottles, flares and fireworks being thrown.

 

It is being described as one of the worst incidents of sports violence seen in Egypt in decades.

 

A security official and a medic said fans of the home team, Al Masry, swarmed the field after a rare 3-1 win against Al Ahly, Egypt's top team.

 

They threw missiles at other fans and injured some players.

 

A medic at a morgue in the city said some of the dead were security officers. The causes of the deaths were not immediately known.

 

Some players were taken to a locker room for protection, a player, Sayed Hamdi, told state TV.

 

As details of the violence emerged, a football match in Cairo was called off in mourning - and television footage showed sections of the stadium on fire. An announcer said the blazes had been started by fans angry over the cancellation.

 

More to follow...

[smithdown]

Just seen 73 on twitter

 

Must be political background to this

 

 

 

At least 70 people have been killed in clashes after a football game in the Egyptian city of Port Said.

 

Scores of others were injured in Wednesday's violence, including security personnel. At least two players suffered light injuries.

 

Fans of the winning al-Masry team flooded the field seconds after the match with al-Ahly, Egypt's top team, was over.

 

A security official said the fans chased the players and cornered their supporters on the field and around the stadium,

throwing stones and bottles at them.

 

State television quoted Hesham Sheiha, deputy health minister, as saying that most of the injuries were caused by concussion and deep cuts.

 

Al-Ahly football players were trapped in the changing room along with supporters. Riot police were sent in to drive the rival crowds of fans back.

 

Thousands of supporters covered the field, as seen in video posted online.

 

'War, not football'

 

"This is not football. This is a war and people are dying in front of us. There is no movement and no security and no

ambulances," Abo Treika told the Ahly television channel. "This is a horrible situation and today can never be forgotten."

 

Al-Ahly's supporter club, Ultras, said on their website that they were heading to Port Said later in the evening.

 

Al-Masry team won a rare 3-1 against Al-Ahly.

 

The two teams have a long history of bad blood, and clashes have erupted in recent years between their fans.

 

Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh, reporting from Cairo, said several football games after the revolution have witnessed violence due to the absence of police forces.

 

"In the security vacuum that has lasted since the revolution, the police force has basically disappeared from the street after their notorious performance during the revolution."

 

A match in Cairo on Wednesday evening was interrupted following the news of the deaths in Port Said. Television footage showed a big fire behind the supporter stand at the Cairo stadium.

 

The Premier League which the games were part of was suspended indefinitely

 

 

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/02/20122118396971404.html

Edited February 1, 2012 by smithdown

[Billy Dane]

Dreadful RIP

[dorgie]

Sweet jesus

 

paul_tomkinsPaul Tomkins

 

RT @jonawils: Just seen horrifying photo of fan with eyes gouged out from Port Said. Seems most of dead were stabbed - not a crush/stampede

 

[Earl Hafler]

Sweet jesus

 

I realise that post is in good faith, and the photo might be genuine, but after what this clubs fans have been accused of i won't be jumping to conclusions

 

 

Horrific. R.I.P

[CarraLegend]

f***ing hell. Horrible. Actually watched a bit of the game as I had a little acca going.

[AE]

Beeb running it at their main story on the web.

Low (relatively) Police presence since the events of last year at games, fans armed with knives, two teams that hate each other. EDIT - I said the "wrong" team one - the Beeb report makes it sound like the home team won (the smaller of the two) and its fans invaded the pitch (in celebration??) and it all kicked off.....

Horrific.

Also sounds like politics will get dragged into it as well

 

Auntie

Edited February 1, 2012 by AE

[stressederic]

Horrible stuff.

[Case]

This is terrible stuff. Shocking.

 

RIP the dead.

[Nerik]

79 dead. Some stabbed, others strangled with a football scarf..........RIP

[Hassony]

79 dead. Some stabbed, others strangled with a football scarf..........RIP

 

Horrible

 

they've had football violence in Egypt before, but not to this extent

 

have a bad feeling that there are other forces behind this

[The_MC]

Really grim. Just horrible. Sounds premeditated too, and the security there looks disgraceful from the footage.

[Hassony]

any plans for a minute silence at this weekend games?

[Billy Dane]

Certainly should be.

[cymrococh]

have a bad feeling that there are other forces behind this

One report I heard described it as sectarian. Any idea what the issues were between the clubs/supporters?

[Hassony]

One report I heard described it as sectarian. Any idea what the issues were between the clubs/supporters?

 

al ahly vz al zamalik is usually the big game in egypt where trouble happens, that's why I find it strange that it has happened against al masry

 

Al ahly traditionally supported by the working class, and they were of the leading forces during the revolution against mubarak

 

I think the reports that I've read indicates that the police (supporters of Mubarak) were behind this