At leat 20 killed in Egypt soccer clashes
After tickets run out for game between Egyptian clubs Zamalek and ENPPI, supporters clash violently with police.
At least 20 people have been killed and 20 injured in clashes with police and a stampede during a soccer game in Egypt.
According to different reports in Egypt, the clashes broke out after fans learned there were not enough tickets for the Egypt Premier League game between Zamalek and ENPPI, a Cairo-based club.
UPDATED: Zamalek supporters clash with police before league game #Egypt
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— AhramOnlineSports (@AO_Sports) February 8, 2015
Three security officials said some people died during a stampede, while others died in clashes with police, officials said.
Al Aharm identified the victims as "die-hard supporters of Zamalek" and said they clashed with Egyptian police at Cairo's Air Defense Stadium, a few hours before the team was to take on ENPPI in "a top-of-the-table clash".
Ahram's Arabic news said several vehicles were damaged in the melee.
صحفة #وايت_نايتس
على الفيس بوك تعلن وفاة 5 مشاجعين #الزمالك
#إنبي
#مصر
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— الشروق الرياضي (@Shorouk_Reyada) February 8, 2015
"The Zamalek fans tried to get in by force, and we had to prevent them from damaging public property," a statement from the Interior Minister said, placing the blame on the team's Ultras White Knights fan group which it said attempted to enter the stadium without tickets.
The group disputed the official version of events, saying police fired tear-gas as fans where attempting to get in to the stadium.
A fan who tried to attend the game, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity out of fear of being targeted by police, said that the stampede was caused by police who fired tear gas at the tightly packed crowd.
"Those who fell down could not get back up again," the man said.
The Zamalek fan group later posted pictures on Facebook it claimed were of dead fans, including the names of 22 people it said had been killed. The AP could not immediately verify the images, nor their casualty count.
After a 2012 Port Said tragedy which left over 70 fans dead, the Egyptian government have banned members of the public from attending matches. Since last December, the ban has been gradually lifted, allowing 10,000 people to attend.
Some 5,000 tickets went up for public sale and as the rest were distributed by the club itself.
"You do not understand anything. You are not allowed to get in by force. No one will be allowed to attend the match without tickets," Zamalek board member Ahmed Mansour was quoted as saying.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
