Officials in Egypt say at least 74 people have been killed after a football pitch invasion in the city of Port Said.
Hundreds of others are said to have been injured when clashes broke out following the match between leading teams Ah Ahli and al-Masry. Masry fans ran onto the pitch after the final whistle – after a rare 3-1 victory by their side.
Reports from the scene claim fans began chasing rival players around the pitch, before hurling stones, bottles and flares at their supporters.
One player, Mohamed Abo Treika, told the Ahli television station “This is not football. This is a war and people are dying in front of us. There is no security and no ambulances.” He called for the Premier League to be cancelled – adding “today can never be forgotten”.
The Ultras for both Egypt’s big teams Ahly and Zamalek and other teams got involved in politics when they took to the streets to join the big protests. Ashraf Abdel-Aziz
In response the head of the ruling military council, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, ordered two helicopters to be sent to Port Said to help fly some of the injured to hospital.
According to local television, the Egyptian deputy health minister Hesham Sheiha said most injuries were caused by concussion and deep cuts. The Associated Press news agency quoted a morgue official, who said security officers were among the dead.
Another match in Cairo was called off as news of the deaths emerged. Egyptian television showed images of parts of the Cairo stadium in flames, as reports claimed angry fans had set them ablaze.
Mr Sheiha has described it as the “biggest disaster in Egypt‘s soccer history”.
Fifa President Sepp Blatter gave his response in a statement: “I am very shocked and saddened to learn this evening that a large number of football supporters have died or been injured following a match in Port Said, Egypt,” the statement said.
“My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives this evening. This is a black day for football. Such a catastrophic situation is unimaginable and should not happen.”
Reporter Ashraf Abdel-Aziz is in Egypt and writes for Channel 4 News that there is an ongoing problem with so-called Ultras in Egyptian football.
“The violence in Port Said is not new in Ahly vs Masry matches. However, the new thing is that it turned into a tragedy as 73 have so far been declared dead by Egypt’s Health Ministry.
The violence started after the match ended 3-1 for Ahly. Al-Masry fans stormed into the pitch, clashed with Ahly’s fans. Both sides were armed with fireworks, weapons and sticks. The pitch has become a battle-ground as hundreds have been injured. Some other battles are taking place outside the stadium and near hospitals due to the fact that the fans quarrelled with the people from the city of Port Said, which is on the Suez Canal, in eastern Egypt.
The Ultras for both Egypt’s big teams Ahly and Zamalek and other teams got involved in politics as they took to the streets to join the big protests. They are used to being violent using fireworks.
Recently, some of the Ultras Ahlaway, those supporting Al-Ahly Egypt’s biggest team, staged a sit-in with some other youth and political groups outside the cabinet offices in downtown Cairo against the detention of some of them who used fireworks and clashed with the police. One of the Ultras had a quarrel with a military man, which turned into violence. More than 30 were killed at that event.
On Tuesday, they joined protesters outside the People’s Assembly (the lower house of parliament). The protest also turned violent as they clashed with members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who were standing near the House. Around 135 were injured, none was killed.”