Ivory Coast: 22 football fans killed in stampede

Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Mar 30: At least 22 people were killed and 132 were injured when a wall came down on them before a football match between the Ivory Coast and Malawi in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday, Mar 29.

According to The Sun, many of the victims were trampled as they attempted to flee the crush which happened as fans tried to get into the stadium.

Ivory Coast Sports Minister Dagobert Banzio said fans tried to push in without tickets at the Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan.

He said: "They smashed one of the main gates of the stadium. They were trampled."

FIFA passed the ground safe last year. Chelsea star Drogba, 31, later scored two and fellow Chelsea star Salomon Kalou got one in Ivory Coast's 5-0 win.

Arsenal's Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, Tottenham's Didier Zokora and West Brom's Abdoulaye Meite also played.

ANI