15 killed in DR Congo football violence
The death toll was announced by the Interior Ministry after police forces used teargas to break up rival fans of ASV Club and Tout Puissant Mazembe, local Radio Okapi reported.
KINSHASA
At least 15 people were killed and 21 injured in a stampede that occurred following a football match in Democratic Republic of Congo capital Kinshasa on Sunday evening, local media reported.
"The stampede left 15 dead and 21 wounded ," Kinshasa Governor Andre Kimbuta was quoted by local media as saying during a visit to Mama Yemo Hospital, where many of the injured were treated.
According to Radio Okapi, a local news website sponsored by the U.N., the stampede happened when police used teargas to disperse ASV Club fans angered by their team's defeat at the hands of Tout Puissant Mazembe.
As the game was about to end, ASV fans began throwing projectiles onto the field, prompting the referee to halt the game.
Police used teargas to pacify angry fans, but a stampede ensued in the stands, where a stadium wall collapsed and a door was broken, according to the website.
The 1-0 victory secured a 14th league title for Mazembe.
The two teams have already been drawn in Group A in the CAF Champions League, the premier African club football competition, along with Egypt's Zamalek and Sudan's Hilal.
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