After the tragedy that occurred in a football stadium in India which caused the death of 131 people, it is the turn of Argentina to be in mourning. Indeed, a 57-year-old Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata supporter died during clashes and crowd movement during an Argentine league match between his team and Boca Juniors on Thursday, near Buenos Aires. “I confirm that there is a dead person. This person died of cardiac arrest,” said Buenos Aires provincial security minister Sergio Berni.
The clashes began outside the Juan Carmelo Zerillo stadium in La Plata, around 50 km south of Buenos Aires, where the Gimnasia team were hosting Boca Juniors. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse fans who tried to enter the already full stadium.
“The actions of the police” at the heart of the investigation
“The incidents started outside and spread inside. There were around 10,000 people around the stadium trying to get in, some with tickets, some without. Everyone could see that the stadium was completely full, ”explained Eduardo Aparicio, the head of the agency for the prevention of violence in sport.
“All of this is under investigation”, including “the actions of the police”, he added after the match was stopped in the 9th minute when the effects of tear gas arrived at the stadium. interior of the stadium. “The air has become unbreathable. The situation got out of control and there were no more security guarantees,” said referee Hernan Mastrangelo.
A cameraman hit by a rubber bullet
Part of the public then invaded the lawn in search of fresh air, the gates of the stadium having been closed by the police to prevent any forced entry. According to local media, several dozen spectators had to be taken to hospital due to the effects of the gases. A sports channel cameraman was also hit by a rubber bullet.
The meeting was the most important of the 23rd day of the Argentine championship. It was the last chance for Gimnasia to stay in contention for the title, as Boca Juniors looked to move into top spot. “What was going to be a party ends like this. What happened hurts all of us, it’s terrible,” Boca Juniors technical director Hugo Ibarra told reporters.