Basra stadium clash kills at least one before Arabian Gulf Cup final

Basra, The Gulf Observer: A stampede near the stadium where Iraq and Oman are expected to play in the Arabian Gulf Cup final killed one person and injured at least 60 others, local reports said.

Thousands of fans had gathered in and around the stadium hours before the kickoff to watch the match.

Iraq’s Minister of Interior Abdulamir Al Shammari announced the closure of the gates of the Basra International Stadium after it was filled with fans.

“The gates of the Basra International stadium were closed, after it was filled with fans, and no one will be allowed to enter after the stadium gates are closed,” Al Shammar said in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency.

Director of Media and Public Relations at the ministry Major General Saad Maan earlier said that “citizens in Basra should not go to the stadium unless they have tickets for the match.”

“The numbers of fans are very large, and we do not want there to be cases of suffocation, and the pressure will be doubled on the security forces,” he said.

He called on the fans to “commit to the regulations and instructions issued by the security forces, and it is possible to watch the match in public places.”

“Joy cannot be complete, and there can be no winning except with the safety of citizens,” he said as he expressed his hope that “all directives issued by the security forces will be upheld.”