El Salvador suffered on Saturday night his greatest sports tragedy with the death of 12 people as a result of a stampede in the Cuscatlán stadium, in San Salvador, and which has left some 100 people injured.
The Salvadoran Government Press Secretary confirmed the number of deaths. The incidents occurred when fans were trying to enter one of the popular areas of the stadium to watch a game between Alianza and Futbolistas Asociados Santanecos (FAS).
After learning the latest update on the deceased, most of them men, the Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, assured on his Twitter account that “A thorough investigation will be conducted.”
“The Police and the Prosecutor’s Office will carry out an exhaustive investigation of the events that occurred in the Cuscatlán Stadium. Everyone will be investigated: teams, managers, stadium, ticket office, league, federation, etc.”, he published and added that “whoever the culprits are, They will not go unpunished.”
MORE THAN 500 ATTENTION AND SHOWS OF SOLIDARITY
Carlos Fuentes, spokesman for Comandos de Salvamento told reporters that some 100 people were transferred to different hospitals, while attention to those affected totals about 500.
The Salvadoran Football Federation (Fesfut) regretted the deaths in a statement and added that “it will immediately request a report on what happened and will communicate the pertinent information in the shortest possible time.”
The president of the National Sports Institute (INDES) and brother of President Bukele, Yamil Bukele, expressed his solidarity with “all the families that today have lost a loved one in this sad event.”
“We have called an extraordinary meeting of the Steering Committee of INDES,” which is the sponsor of the Salvadoran Major League tournament, he announced.
Salvadoran League teams They expressed their condolences on their social networks.
“Today the colors do not exist and for the good of the sport that we are all passionate about, we hope that this does not happen again,” published the FAS, the visiting team of the match that was finally suspended.
Luis Ángel Firpo stated that “soccer is in mourning”. “We join the pain of the families of the Alianza fans,” while the Eagle published: “We join the pain of the Alianza family, our most sincere condolences.”
Fesfut announced the suspension of the two games scheduled for Sunday, corresponding to the second leg of the quarterfinals, and announced an urgent meeting with its Sports Venue Safety Commission.