At least one football fan has been killed and dozens others injured in a stampede that occurred outside a stadium in Basra, Iraq.
Tens of thousands of fans headed to the Basra International Stadium to watch Iraq play against Oman in the final of the Arabian Gulf Cup.
Some fans were reportedly trying to gain entrance into the stadium without tickets.
State-owned Iraqi National Agency (INA), reported that medical sources said that some of the injured were a critical condition.
Social media footage shows several people lying on the ground and medics trying to revive a man.
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Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani was reportedly overseeing the situation on the ground, while the Iraqi army asked people in Basra to allow the Arabian Gulf Cup to be “wrapped up in a civilised fashion that does honour to Iraq”.
This is the first time since 1979 that Iraq has hosted the Arabian Gulf Cup – which is contested by Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Iraq and Oman.
The tournament was intended to offer a more positive image of the country after many years of conflict and political turmoil.
