A stampede exterior a stadium in southern Iraq killed at the very least two individuals and injured dozens Thursday, a well being official mentioned.

The lethal incident occurred as spectators gathered to attend the ultimate match in the primary worldwide soccer event held in the nation in 4 many years. The Iraqi News Agency mentioned one individual was killed and 60 individuals who had been injured exterior the Basra International Stadium a few of whom are in vital situation.

A health care provider at Basra General Hospital informed The Associated Press that two individuals had been killed and 38 had been injured, a few of whom have been discharged from the hospital.

Iraq’s Interior Ministry in a press release urged individuals who don’t have tickets for the ultimate match to go away the stadium space. It mentioned that the stadium is full and all gates have been closed.

Iraq’s new Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who arrived in Basra on Thursday, urged individuals assist authorities in order to “show the final match of 25th edition of the Gulf Cup in its most beautiful form.”

INA later reported that enormous screens had been positioned in completely different public locations in Basra so that folks can watch the match.

The closing match in the eight-nation Arabian Gulf Cup is scheduled to be held later Thursday between Iraq and Oman.

The event confronted a number of incidents, together with chaos contained in the VIP part throughout which a Kuwaiti prince was not in a position to attend the opening match earlier this month.

The event began on Jan. 6, with groups from the six Gulf Cooperation Council nations — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — in addition to Yemen and Iraq. It’s the primary time since 1979 that Iraq has hosted the event.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed)