The death toll rises in Cairo to 30 after clashes that erupted Sunday, state-owned Al-Ahram announced . The clashes occured prior to a football match between Egyptian Premier League clubs Zamalek Sporting Club and ENPPI Club at the Air Defense Stadium east of Cairo.
The match was the first to be open to the public since February 2012 when over 70 fans, mostly supporters of Al Ahly club, were killed in Port Said after a match between Al Masry and Al Ahly.
The Ministry of the Interior had limited the number of spectators for the Zamalek SC and ENPPI game to 10,000. The tickets were released under very specific conditions, including that fans would head to their clubs with five personal photos and a copy of their national IDs, in addition to filling a form and signing an endorsement of approval.
The ministry said that "dozens were injured due to the stampede" when some 10,000 unticketed supporters tried to force their way into the stadium, while ticket holders were allowed to enter safely.
"Huge numbers of Zamalek club fans came to Air Defense Stadium to attend the match ... and tried to storm the stadium gates by force, which prompted the troops to prevent them from continuing the assault on the stadium facilities," the ministry said in a statement.
Ahmed Sourab, Nasr City’s top prosecutor, told Aswat Masriya that initial investigations revealed that a stampede among Ultras White Knights, supporters of Zamalek SC, caused the deaths.
Meanwhile, eyes witnesses and members of Ultras White Nights said they were tear-gassed as fans tousled to get in, with a "tiny metal fence surrounded by barbed wire being the only gate opened for us."
Tear gas resulted in people shoving and pushing, which led the police to shoot more tear gas and birdshot at the congested crowds. "Those who fell down could not get back up again," a supporter explained in reference to the resulting stampede.
Responses on the social media were of outrage, mostly for the fact that the match was eventually played with a 40 minute delay despite the violence and the deaths.
Zamalek SC player Omar Gaber was applauded for refusing to take part in the game while fans were being killed and injured. His decision resulted in Zamalek SC's Board of Directors banning the player from participating in future games.
Statements from Mortada Mansour, chairman of Zamalek SC, and his son Ahmed Mortada Mansour, who is also a member of the SC board of directors, stirred a lot of anger as well. The duo blamed the UWK for the incidents which took place.
Mortada Mansour alleged that the Muslim Brotherhood was behind this turmoil to hinder the upcoming parliamentary elections set to take place on March 22.