9 Feb 2015

Deaths halt Egypt's football league

4:03 pm on 9 February 2015

Egypt has indefinitely suspended football league matches after at least 22 fans died in a stampede at a stadium in Cairo.

A bereaved father grieves for his dead sons at the Zynhom morgue in Cairo on 8 February 2015.

A bereaved father grieves for his dead sons at the Zynhom morgue in Cairo on 8 February 2015. Photo: AFP

Many of the victims were crushed after police fired tear gas at supporters of Zamalek, who were trying to force their way in for a match against city rivals ENPPI.

The fans blamed the authorities for opening only a single gate, the BBC reported.

An arrest warrant has been issued for the leaders of the Zamalek supporters group, the White Knights.

The last time the league was suspended was in 2012 after 74 fans died in rioting at a game in Port Said.

At least 20 people were also injured in Cairo on Sunday at the Air Defense Stadium, witnesses say.

Despite the violence, the match went ahead.

A man gestures near a burning car during clashes between Zamalek football club supporters and security forces on 8 February 2015.

A man gestures near a burning car during clashes between Zamalek football club supporters and security forces on 8 February 2015. Photo: AFP

Hard-core Egyptian football fans are often deeply politicised and played a role in the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Many people believe police in Port Said stood by in revenge for the fans' role in anti-Mubarak unrest. Police deny the accusation.

Recently lifted restrictions on the numbers attending football matches, imposed after the deaths at Port Said, will now be re-imposed.

Egypt's public prosecutor has ordered an investigation into the clashes in Cairo.

-BBC

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