At Least 15 Dead In Congo Soccer Stadium Stampede

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — A stampede at a soccer stadium in Congo’s capital on Sunday killed at least 15 people and injured more than a dozen, government officials said.

The stampede at the Tata Raphael Stadium in Kinshasa happened toward the end of a match between two popular Congolese teams, AS Vita Club and TP Mazembe, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry read on national television late Sunday.

At least 21 people were injured during the melee, said Gov. Andre Kimbuta, who has set up a commission to investigate the incident.

Witnesses told U.N.-backed Radio Okapi that police fired tear gas into the crowd after angry fans threw objects onto the field in the final minutes of the match on the last day of the league season. The home team, AS Vita, was losing 1-0.

The stampede then caused a recently restored wall and gate to collapse, African…