No fewer than eight soccer fans were killed on Saturday in a stampede at Demba Diop stadium in the Senegalese capital of Dakar.
The stampede occurred during a match between two local teams, the sports minister said.
A fight broke out between fans of rivals US Ouakam and Stade de Mbour and police fired tear gas to break it up.
The resulting confusion triggered the stampede, Sports Minister Matar Ba said.
APS reported that many people were also injured as a wall collapsed at the stadium.
At least 49 others were seriously injured in the confusion, APS said, while firefighters were on the scene along with large numbers of ambulances.
Senegal’s safety record at large gatherings has been heavily criticised this year after the death of dozens of people at a religious retreat in April when a fire ripped through makeshift shelters.
Deadly stampedes at soccer matches have been common in Africa, where safety standards are low.
At least 17 people died and scores were injured in a stampede in a match in Angola in February, when hundreds of supporters stormed the stadium.(NAN)
