Senegal Demba Diop: Football stadium collapse kills eight Published duration 16 July 2017

media caption A survivor describes how a wall fell directly onto the crowd

A wall collapsed at a football stadium in Senegal on Saturday, killing eight people and injuring almost 90.

It fell in after fighting began between rival fans and police responded with tear gas, with a stampede ensuing.

Stade de Mbour were playing Union Sportive Ouakam at the Demba Diop stadium in the capital Dakar.

The country has suspended all sporting and cultural events for the rest of the month.

During the clashes, home fans threw projectiles including stones at others. Pictures circulating online appear to show people scrambling over a low wall amid clouds of gas.

image copyright AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Passions were high at the game, the League Cup final.

With the score 1-1 after 90 minutes, Mbour took a goal in the first period of extra time to win 2-1, and violence broke out at the final whistle.

Cheikh Maba Diop, whose friend died in the incident and who helped move people out of the stadium, told AFP news agency: "All of a sudden when the wall fell... we knew exactly that some of our own had lost their lives because the wall fell directly on to people."

A spokesman for President Macky Sall said campaigning for upcoming elections would be suspended on Sunday as a mark of respect, and that there should be "punishments serving as a warning".

There are also suggestions that the stadium itself was in a poor state of repair, BBC Africa reporter James Copnall says.

An enquiry announced by the government will no doubt examine all this, he adds.

Related Topics Senegal