At least 17 people died and dozens more were injured Friday in a stampede at a soccer stadium in northern Angola, authorities said.
Hundreds of people rushed one of the stadium gates before the start of a championship match. In the crush, many fans fell and were trampled by the crowd.
Local media said some victims suffocated as bodies piled up. Hospitals reported treating more than 50 injured fans.
Spectators had converged on the stadium in the northwestern town of Uige to watch the championship match of Angola’s first division between Santa Rita de Cassia and Recreativo de Libolo.
President Jose Eduardo dos Santos expressed condolences to the victims’ families and told officials to open an investigation into the incident, Angola’s state run news agency Angop reported.
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