Around twelve people were killed and several injured on Saturday in a stampede at an El Salvador stadium where football fans gathered to watch a local tournament, according to AFP. The initial reports pointed to a crush of fans as they tried to enter the Cuscatlan Stadium in the Central American country's capital San Salvador to watch a match between teams Alianza and FAS. According to Carlos Fuentes, spokesman for the emergency services group Comandos de Salvamento, the stampede apparently started after a stadium gate fell, causing people to crowd together.
About 100 people in serious condition were taken to the hospital, with some showing signs of asphyxia and other types of trauma, Fuentes said. Two of the injured are in critical condition, he said adding that more than 500 people were being treated.
The match was suspended as emergency personnel evacuated people from the stadium. Hundreds of police officers and soldiers gathered to help the evacuation process.
"Preliminarily, we have a negative result of 12 victims, nine who are here in the stadium and three more that we have been informed are in different hospital centres," National Civil Police (PNC) director Mauricio Arriaza told reporters.
"Salvadoran soccer is in mourning," Arriaza was quoted by AFP.
The Salvadoran Football Federation (Fesfut) said in a statement it "deeply regrets" the events that occurred at the stadium and "expresses its solidarity" with the families of those "affected and killed."
"Fesfut will immediately request a report of what happened and will communicate the relevant information as soon as possible," it said.
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said the PNC and the Attorney General's Office would investigate the incident and those responsible would be punished.
"Everyone will be investigated: teams, managers, stadium, box office, league, federation," Bukele said on Twitter.
He warned that "whoever the culprits are, they will not go unpunished."