At least dozen killed in El Salvador football stadium crush

At least 12 people have been killed in an apparent crush at an El Salvador stadium where football fans had gathered to watch a local tournament, according to the police and government officials.

At least 12 people have been killed in an apparent crush at an El Salvador stadium where football fans had gathered to watch a local tournament, according to the police and government officials.

“Preliminarily, we have a negative result of 12 victims, nine who are here in the stadium and three more that we have been informed are in different hospital centres,” National Civil Police (PNC) Director Mauricio Arriaza told reporters on Sunday (May 21).

“Salvadoran soccer is in mourning,” Arriaza said.

The police said initial reports point to a crush of fans who tried to enter the stadium in the Central American country’s capital San Salvador to watch a match between FC Alianza and Club Deportivo FAS.

“There were only two gates open in the whole stadium,” one fan told La Prensa Grafica. “The people outside wanted to force their way in, and they all fell on us.”

Another fan, Sandra Argueta, said children and elderly people were affected and the gate had to be kicked down “to get some air because there were a lot of people and we were suffocating”.