73 dead in violence at Egyptian football match

Shocking stuff. Only absolute scum would bring a knife to a football match.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0201/egypt.html

At least 73 people are now confirmed dead following violence and a pitch invasion at a football match in the Egytian city of Port Said.

There are reports that up to 1,000 people have been injured.

The game was between Al-Ahli, one of Egypt's most successful clubs, and al-Masry, a team based in Port Said.

A security official said the violence erupted as soon as the referee blew the final whistle. Fans of Al-Masri, which beat Al-Ahly 3-0, invaded the pitch and began to throw rocks, bottles and fireworks at the opposing fans.

Medics said some of the deaths were the result of stab wounds and that the death toll could rise even further.

Two military helicopters were deployed to evacuate the visiting team and some of its fans from the city.

State television quoted deputy health minister Hesham Sheiha as saying that most of the injuries were caused by concussion and deep cuts.

"This is unfortunate and deeply saddening. It is the biggest disaster in Egypt's soccer history," Hesham Sheiha told state television.

Ahli player Mohamed Abo Treika said Masry fans invaded the pitch after the referee blew the whistle, even though their team had won the game 3-1.
"This is not football. This is a war and people are dying in front of us. There is no movement and no security and no ambulances," Abo Treika told the Ahli television channel.

"I call for the premier league to be cancelled. This is horrible situation and today can never be forgotten."

Gunfire was later reported on the main road leading to Port Said from Cairo.
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, the country's largest political force, later accused supporters of ousted president Hosni Mubarak of instigating the violence.
"The events in Port Said are planned and are a message from the remnants of the former regime," claimed MP Essam al-Erian in a statement on the Islamist group's Freedom and Justice Party website.

In the capital itself, a match at Cairo Statium was halted by the referee after receiving news of the violence in Port Said, prompting fans in Cairo to set parts of the stadium on fire.

There were no reports of injuries from that incident.