At least one soccer fan was killed and 60 others injured in an outdoor accident at a stadium in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, local media reported.
It happened as tens of thousands of enthusiasts headed to Basra Stadium to watch Iraq face Oman in the final of the Arabian Gulf Cup.
Officials said many expected to be allowed in even if they didn’t have tickets.
A doctor told Iraq’s national news firm (INA) that some of the wounded were in critical condition.
Videos posted on social media gave the impression of showing other people lying motionless on the floor and doctors seeking to resuscitate a man.
A large crowd noticed that it extended along a road that led to the stadium hours before the game, which was due to start at 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT).
A photographer for the AFP news firm inside the stadium reported that turnstiles had been opened before the accident.
Fans with tickets were allowed into the stadium before the turnstiles closed and those still outside were asked to leave.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani reportedly oversaw the scenario on the ground, while the Iraqi army called on Basra’s citizens to allow the Arabian Gulf Cup to “conclude in a civilized manner that gives credit to Iraq. “
Iraq had to go to neighboring Kuwait earlier this month after chaos in the VIP segment of the stadium prevented the emir’s representative from attending the opening match.
This is the first time Iraq has hosted the biennial Arab Gulf Cup, which is contested across Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Iraq and Oman, since 1979.
The tournament aimed to offer a more positive symbol of the country after many years of confrontation and political turmoil.
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