One dead, many injured in Iraq Gulf Cup Final stampede
A rush that occurred outside a football stadium on Thursday in Iraq, hours before the Gulf Cup final, left one person dead and numerous more hurt.
Thousands of spectators without tickets allegedly gathered outside the stadium in Basra, the capital and largest city of southern Iraq, since morning in anticipation of the rare international game between Iraq and Oman that was scheduled to begin at 7 o'clock that evening (1600 GMT).
A representative of the interior ministry acknowledged that "there has been one death and numerous injuries.
"Many fans without tickets had gathered since first light to try to get in,†the official said.
When the stampede started, the turnstiles were still closed, according to AFP.
Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq compete in the Gulf Cup.
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