The stadium in Guinea killed 56 people after the conflict of the referee’s decision

Written by Saliou Samb and Bate Felix

CONAKRY (Reuters) – A controversial referee’s decision sparked violence and chaos at a soccer match in southeastern Guinea, killing 56 people according to a provisional count, the government said on Monday.

The deaths occurred during the finals of the honoring of Guinean military leader Mamady Doumbouya at the stadium in Nzerekore, one of the country’s largest cities.

Some supporters threw stones, causing fear and frustration, the government said in a statement, promising an investigation.

A video commissioned by Reuters showed dozens of people climbing high walls to escape.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official of the city’s administration said that most of the dead were young children who were caught in the chaos after the police started firing tear gas. This official described scenes of confusion and chaos as some parents took out the bodies before they were officially counted.

Videos and photos shared online showed the victims lined up on the floor. In one video, more than a dozen lifeless bodies could be seen, several of them children.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the footage.

The opposition National Alliance for Change and Democracy said the authorities were responsible for organizing contests to strengthen political support in Doumbouya in violation of the reform charter ahead of the promised presidential election.

There was no immediate response from the military to the allegations.

(Additional reporting and writing by Hereward Holland and Alessandra Prentice Editing by Ed Osmond and Andrew Cawthorne)