Stampede mars Nigeria-DPRK friendly game

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-06-07 11:08

Stampede mars Nigeria-DPRK friendly game

Spectators push at a gate to get in the stadium to watch the friendly game between Nigeria and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Tembisa, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, June 6, 2010.[Photo/Sports.sohu.com]

JOHANNESBURG - At least 10 people, including a South African policeman, were injured during a stampede ahead of a FIFA World Cup friendly game between Nigeria and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at a stadium east of Johannesburg on Sunday.

News24 in South Africa carried pictures of heavily bleeding fans and reported a policeman also had blood streaming from his face. He was taken away on a stretcher.

The Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa is not one of South Africa's 10 FIFA World Cup stadiums and it seats only about 10,000 fans, but there was pandemonium when thousands of fans stampeded at its gates in desperation to a watch the game.

South Africa has a large Nigerian population which centered in Johannesburg. Their numbers have been swelled by fans arriving for the World Cup which kicks off on Friday.

Eyewitness News in Johannesburg reported on Sunday that fans were seen falling under the rush of people when the gates opened. Nigerian football jerseys were in evidence.

After initially closing the gates, police reopened them, resulting in a further stampede with more people crushed.