Deadly crush outside Iraq football stadium before Gulf Cup final
- Published
Medics treated some of the injured inside the stadium, where Iraq were due to play Oman on Thursday afternoon
At least one football fan has been killed and 60 others injured in a crush outside a stadium in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, local media report.
It happened as tens of thousands of fans headed to the Basra International Stadium to watch Iraq play Oman in the final of the Arabian Gulf Cup.
Officials said many were hoping to be allowed in despite not having tickets.
A medical source told state-owned Iraqi National Agency (INA) that some of the injured were a critical condition.
Videos posted on social media appeared to show several people lying motionless on the ground and medics trying to resuscitate a man.
A huge crowd was seen stretching along a road to the stadium hours before the match, which was due to kick off at 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT).
Many of the fans who gathered outside the stadium did not have tickets
An AFP news agency photographer inside the stadium reported that the turnstiles had not been opened before the crush happened.
Fans with tickets were later allowed into the stadium before the turnstiles were closed again and those still outside urged to leave.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani was said to be 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".
Iraq had to apologise to neighbouring Kuwait earlier this month after chaos in the VIP section of stadium prevented the emir's representative from attending the opening match.
This is the first time Iraq has hosted the biennial Arabian Gulf Cup - which is contested by Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Iraq and Oman - since 1979.
The tournament was intended to offer a more positive image of the country after many years of conflict and political turmoil.