Deaths in stampede at El Salvador soccer stadium

At least 12 people were killed in a stampede at a soccer stadium in El Salvador. About a hundred fans were injured, including several children.

Things went wrong in the evening during the match between Alianza FC and Club Deportivo FAS. Fans tell a local newspaper that people were standing outside the crowded Cuscatlán stadium trying to get inside, even though most of the entrance gates were already closed.

“People were pushing in and falling all over us,” said one fan who was inside the stadium. There is talk of an “avalanche of people. According to government officials, there are signs that fake tickets were in circulation.

The National Football Federation of El Salvador extends its condolences to the bereaved families. The organization has announced an investigation.

President Bukele says those responsible for the tragedy will be punished. Everyone, he says, will be investigated. “Teams, managers, employees in the stadium, the soccer federation. Whoever the culprits are, they will be punished.”