17 killed, several injured in Angola's football match stampede

At least 17 people have been killed and several others injured in a stampede at a soccer stadium in the northern Uige city of Angola.

The tragedy occurred on Friday evening, seven minutes into a first division match between Santa Rita de Cassia and Libolo when hundreds of local fans stormed one of the gates of the stadium to watch the match, news agency Xinhua reported.

Sources with a local hospital said of the 17 people killed, mostly were teenagers who tried to sneak into the stadium to watch the game. Several others have been reported to be in a serious condition after the stampede.

STADIUM HAS CAPACITY OF 8,000 SPECTATORS

Witnesses said the crowd trying to gain access would have taken the stadium past its 8,000 capacity, and some people began to fall and some people had walk on others, triggering the worst stadium tragedy in recent memory.

The gate was already overcrowded when hundreds of more fans stormed the gate to gain entry while only policemen were present to safeguard the order, one witness said.

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos has ordered an investigation into the incident, local media reported.