Tragedy at El Salvador's Soccer Classic: 12 dead in Allianza vs FAS Match
MARCAMay 21, 2023
The Facts
At least a dozen people were killed and hundreds injured in a stampede at Monumental Stadium [Estadio Cuscatlán] in El Salvador on Saturday, where soccer clubs Alianza and FAS were playing a national league quarterfinal game.
National Civil Police Director Mauricio Arriaza detailed on Sunday that nine of the confirmed casualties died in the stadium, while the remaining fatal victims died in different hospitals.
The Spin
Narrative A
The home team Alianza, fraudsters, and police are the main culprits for this tragic outcome in the latest game of El Salvador's fiercest soccer rivalry. Tickets were irresponsibly oversold and counterfeited, prompting reportedly 8K people to gather outside the venue and force their way in. Given the importance of this game, such problems should have been anticipated and the police presence should have been increased.
Narrative B
This disaster stems directly from failures in the stadium's internet networks as a large number of supporters gathered outside the venue, which prompted some fans to be blocked due to a malfunctioning QR code system on one of the gates. It's the stadium management that is ultimately responsible for this tragedy.