On 20 May 2023, a crowd crush killed 12 people during an football match at Estadio Cuscatlán, a stadium in San Salvador, El Salvador.[2] The incident happened during a Primera División match between clubs Alianza and FAS.[2]
 Cuscatlán Stadium, where the stampede took place | |
| Date | 20 May 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador |
| Type | Crowd crush |
| Cause | Possibly due to oversold and fake tickets (under investigation)[1] |
| Deaths | 12 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 590 |
Background
Estadio Cuscatlán is one of the largest stadiums in El Salvador, with a capacity of over 53,400 spectators. It is home to Alianza, who play in the Primera División, the country's top flight of association football.[3]
Incident
Alianza hosted the second leg of a 2023 Clasura quarterfinal against FAS, in which they were trailing 1–0 on aggregate. Before the game began, a group of fans gathered outside the stadium to enter, while others were entering the stadium.[4][5]
Many of the first people who were already in the stadium watching the game were trapped as a result of the massive entry of people into the stadium, causing many moments of tension at that time.[6][7] At least 12 people were killed and dozens of others were injured.[2] Of the twelve people who died, nine died immediately in the stadium itself and the rest passed away in hospitals.[8]
Although the reasons behind the tragedy are largely unknown, it has been confirmed that several affiliates of the soccer teams tried to enter the stadium in a method of being able to watch the game of these,[9] therefore, this caused a large rush of estimated hundreds of people where they entered the stadium. Meanwhile, the game session was currently in force.[10]
Reactions
All national level football matches that were due to take place the following day were suspended.[2]
References
- ^ Vinculan tragedia en estadio de El Salvador con sobreventa y boletos falsos, CNN en Español
- ^ a b c d "El Salvador stadium crush leaves at least twelve dead". BBC News. 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador". cityseeker. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
- ^ "The Quarterfinals of El Salvador have been defined; Alianza vs Fas, the main course". Diario AS (in Spanish). 2023-05-14. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "Alianza FC vs. CD FAS - Game Summary - May 20, 2023 - ESPN". ESPNdeportes.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "What is the cause of the tragedy in El Salvador during the Alianza vs FAS?" (in Spanish). 2023-05-21. Archived from the original on 2022-06-17. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ "At least 12 people die in a stampede at a stadium in El Salvador". BBC News Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "Se declaran 15 días de luto en Liga Nacional por la tragedia en El Salvador". Publinews.gt (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-05-22.
- ^ "Tragedia en El Salvador: ascendió a 12 el número de muertos por una estampida en un estadio de fútbol". Infobae (in Spanish).
- ^ "Tragedy in El Salvador: At least 12 dead and nearly 100 injured after stampede in soccer match". El Comercio (in Spanish). EFE Agency. 2023-05-21. ISSN 1605-3052. Retrieved 2023-05-21.