Authorities investigate El Salvador stadium crush with at least nine people dead

El Salvador’s National Civil Police have launched a criminal investigation after at least nine people died in a football stadium crush in San Salvador.

Dozens more fans were injured during Saturday’s incident at the Primera Division play-off quarter-final second leg between Alianza and FAS at the Cuscatlan Stadium in the country’s capital.

The match was suspended and the National Civil Police confirmed in a preliminary report posted on Twitter that nine people – seven men and two women – had died.

El Comisionado General de la @PNCSV, Mauricio Arriaza Chicas, detalla que llegarán hasta los responsables de la estampida de este día en el Estadio Cuscatlán, donde fallecieron nueve personas. pic.twitter.com/VtU1JjXjC2

— Noticiero El Salvador (@NoticieroSLV) May 21, 2023

National Civil Police general commissioner Mauricio Arriaza Chicas said the police would work alongside the Republic’s attorney general’s office to hold those responsible for the disaster to account.

Arriaza Chicas said on Twitter: “We regret this incident in which there are deaths. As a police institution we announce that together with the @FGR_SV we are going to get down to the last details of a criminal investigation into tonight’s incident.”

Attorney general Rodolfo Delgado tweeted: “What has happened this day at the Cuscatlan Stadium is a tragedy for everyone. My condolences to the Salvadoran fans. @FGR_SV and @PNCSV they are executing the necessary procedures to deduce responsibilities.”

El Salvador president Nayib Bukele promised that an “exhaustive investigation” would be conducted into what happened at the stadium.

He added on Twitter: “Everyone will be investigated: teams, directors, stadium, ticket office, league, federation, etc…

“Whoever the culprits are, they will not go unpunished.”

Estamos agilizando la entrada y salida de ambulancias al Estadio Cuscatlán.

Pedimos a la población apartarse y permitir el paso de las ambulancias. pic.twitter.com/gbmimFZuD5

— PNC El Salvador (@PNCSV) May 21, 2023

Video footage of the match on YouTube shows the game being suspended after panic in one of the stands and the injured are later seen being carried away by emergency services on stretchers.

Francisco Alabi, the minister of health, said on Twitter in the hours after the incident: “At the moment, as an integrated health system, we are caring for around 90 people after what happened at the stadium.

“The patients are both women and men, including minors, and who mostly have been treated for multiple injuries.

“The majority of them are in a stable condition and at the moment we have had no reports of deaths from hospitals.”

The Salvadoran Soccer Federation said that all national level football matches on Sunday would be suspended.