Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: At least two people were killed and dozens of others injured after a stampede broke out outside a football stadium in the Iraqi city of Basra ahead of the Gulf Cup final between Iraq and Oman on Thursday.
Some of those wounded were in critical condition, the official Iraqi News Agency reported citing a medical source.
The incident occurred hours before the football match which was scheduled to begin at 7 pm (16:00 GMT) at the Jaza’a Al Nakhla Stadium.
Iraq hosted the football tournament first time in 40 years
Iraq is hosting the Gulf Cup for the first time in 40 years since it was held in the capital Baghdad in 1979.
Thousands of fans without tickets, hopeful of watching the rare home international match, had gathered outside the stadium since morning.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry urged people without tickets for the final match to leave the area. It said in a statement that the stadium was full and all gates had been closed.
According to the Basra governor, the final match could be postponed or held in another country. Football teams of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries -Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates – as well as Yemen and Iraq had been participating in the tournament which started on January 6.
