Cause Crowd crush Non-fatal injuries 50 | Deaths at least 48 | |
Date 17 February 1974 (1974-02-17) Location Zamalek Stadium, Cairo, Egypt | ||
The Zamalek disaster occurred on 17 February 1974 when fans were crushed before a football friendly match at the Zamalek Stadium in Cairo between Zamalek SC of Egypt and Dukla Prague of Czechoslovakia.
The total death toll is reported variously as 48, 49, or 50; 50 more were injured during this event.
Following a change of venue for the match, many supporters thought they would not be able to enter the newly chosen stadium, as the previously intended venue, Nasser Stadium, was much larger. There was a stampede, the walls crumbled, and many people were left dead. According to reports, up to 80,000 people tried to access the stadium, despite the capacity at the time being just 40,000.
References
Zamalek disaster Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA