On 20 May 2023, a crowd crush killed 12 people during a 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]
 | |
| 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 | ~500 |
Background edit
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 edit
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 died in hospitals.[8]
Although the reasons behind the tragedy are largely unknown, it has been confirmed that several supporters of the teams tried to force their way into the stadium to watch the football match.[9] This caused a large crowd rush of hundreds of people making their way into the stadium despite the ongoing match.[10]
Reactions edit
All national level football matches that were due to take place the following day were suspended.[2] Some football clubs and teams showed support via Twitter for the people affected by the tragedy, such as Cádiz,[11] Real Madrid,[12] Borussia Dortmund,[13] and Atlético Madrid.[14] Later, FESFUT stated that Alianza fans would be banned from the stadium for a year and that they had until July 21, 2023 to pay a $30,000 fine following the tragedy. [15]
References edit
- ^ 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 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador". cityseeker. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ "The Quarterfinals of El Salvador have been defined; Alianza vs Fas, the main course". Diario AS (in Spanish). 14 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "Alianza FC vs. CD FAS – Game Summary – May 20, 2023 – ESPN". ESPNdeportes.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "¿Cuál es la causa de la tragedia en El Salvador durante el Alianza vs FAS?" [What is the cause of the tragedy in El Salvador during Alianza vs FAS?] (in Spanish). 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "At least 12 people die in a stampede at a stadium in El Salvador". BBC News Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "Se declaran 15 días de luto en Liga Nacional por la tragedia en El Salvador". Publinews.gt (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ "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. 21 May 2023. ISSN 1605-3052. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "Cádiz Club de Fútbol on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ "Real Madrid C.F. on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ "Borussia Dortmund on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ "Atlético de Madrid on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2023/05/24/el-salvador-bans-fans-year-alianza-stadium-disaster/
