For reasons as yet unknown, scores of spectators were killed in a crowd stampede in the Mateo Flores Stadium in Guatemala City just before the Guatemala-Costa Rica World Cup Qualifying match on Oct. 16. Initial reports talk of 80 deaths, Numerous fans were injured; some of them seriously.
In his initial brief account, the FIFA match commissioner pointed out that some forged match tickets had apparently been sold and that subsequently, too many fans had wanted to gain access to the stadium. According to reports, as the Costa Rican team was warming up on the field at 7:30 p.m. local time, some fans kicked down an entrance door to the south stands, causing other spectators to tumble down to the lower levels of the stands. Even though the security forces released the emergency gates to the field, several people died in the crush.
The heads of state of Guatemala and Costa Rica, who were both intending to attend the game, immediately went to the scene o the tragedy. The President of Guatemala has called for three days of mourning.
The exact causes of the disaster will be investigated by the government authorities, which are responsible for safety inside and outside stadia, and the football bodies involved. FIFA has postponed the CONCACAF Group 1 match until further notice.