A soccer match between two of Kenya’s top soccer teams turned deadly Saturday when seven fans were trampled to death, The Daily Nation reported.
The stampede was caused by fans who did not have tickets but tried to force their way inside the Nyayo Stadium to see the AFC Leopards host Gor Mahia in the country’s capital, Nairobi.
The surging fans sent a gate crashing down and a number of people were crushed in the resulting chaos, according to shocked witnesses.
Six people — five men and one woman — were killed at the stadium itself and another person died at the Kenyatta National Hospital, where the injured were taken for treatment.
One fan told The Daily Nation that neither soccer officials nor police were on hand to control the crowd.
Another shaken fan said spectators, rather than qualified medical officials, helped ferry the injured to the hospital. The injured were said to have suffered broken bones and ribs, the newspaper reported.
Twelve people were in critical condition Saturday night local time.
The Kenya Premier League match continued despite the tragedy, reports said.
