A tragic incident unfolded during a quarterfinal soccer match, resulting in the loss of at least 12 lives and numerous injuries.
The stampede occurred at the Monumental Stadium in Cuscatlan, El Salvador when soccer fans surged through one of the access gates, leading to chaos and devastation. Salvadoran officials attribute the pandemonium to overselling of tickets and issuing fake tickets.
The National Civil Police confirmed the death toll and the number of injured individuals in a preliminary report released on Twitter. According to their statement, 12 fatalities occurred during the match between Alianza and FAS clubs, with several injured spectators in critical condition urgently transported to nearby hospitals for immediate medical treatment.
Initially, reports indicated that nine individuals had lost their lives. However, local media later revised the death toll to 12. Carlos Fuentes, the spokesperson for Rescue Commandos, confirmed the news and revealed that their first aid team provided care to an overwhelming number of over 500 people. Among them, more than 100 required hospitalization, including several in critical condition.
The match came to an abrupt halt only 16 minutes into the game when anxious fans in the stands managed to catch the attention of the players on the field. They alerted the officials through frantic signals, prompting swift action. The injured were evacuated through a tunnel onto the field, with television networks broadcasting the chaos.
In the midst of confusion, fans who had managed to escape the stampede rushed onto the field, using their shirts as improvised distress signals while anxiously searching for signs of life among the motionless bodies scattered across the grass.
As authorities arrived at the scene, National Civil Police Commissioner Mauricio Arriza Chicas announced an extensive criminal investigation in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office to determine the cause of the incident.