The football pitch had been invaded by fans after the last whistle was blown as political differences resurfaced in a sports Stadium.
Major clashes broke out as fans flooded the field seconds after the game in the northern coastal city of Port Said had finished.
Seconds after the referee blew his whistle, supporters flooded the pitch in the city of Port Said, officials said. One player described the incident as 'a war, not football'. The game was between Al Ahli, one of Egypt's most successful clubs, and Al-Masry, a team based in Port Said. Live television footage showed Masry fans running onto the field after the referee blew the whistle and chasing Ahli players, even though their team won 3-1…
Troops have now been deployed on the streets and dozens of people have been arrested.
There were scenes of fireballs as what looked like petrol balls were thrown into the pitch with confusion breaking out among the football fans, apparently demonstrating their political anger and ill-feelings in the on-going political chess game in the country.
There were reports of rocks, bottles, pebbles and cans thrown across the pitch into the crowds and into the main pitch.
Egypt politicians criticised an apparent lack of policing and absence of security personnel at the match.
Doctors treating the victims said many of the dead had been stabbed to death. One player caught up in the rioting described it as "a war".
As details of the violence emerged, a football match in Cairo, 200km (125 miles) away, was called off in mourning and shortly after the cancellation, television footage showed sections of the Cairo stadium on fire,and reports claimed the blazes had been started by fans angry over the cancellation of the match.
Some of the players in Port match were taken to a locker room for protection,according to reports.
As emergency evacuation commenced following the outbreak of the violence, Military helicopters were reportedly sent in to aid emergency evacuation and to pull Al Ahly fans and players out of the confrontation amid fears they face attack.
A Port Said medic said some of the dead were security officers.
The country's football federation has now "indefinitely delayed" all premier league matches, the state prosecutor has called for an investigation and the country's parliament is to convene for an emergency meeting on Thursday.
There are suggestions of a political dimension to the incident, with Egyptian Islamists blaming supporters of Hosni Mubarak - who was ousted as president in Egypt revolution a year ago – for provoking the violence.
Albadry Farghali, a member of parliament for Port Said, accused officials and security forces of allowing the disaster, saying they still had ties to Mubarak's old regime.
He said: "The security forces did this or allowed it to happen. The men of Mubarak are still ruling. The head of the regime has fallen but all his men are still in their positions.
At least 73 people were killed in the violence that erupted shortly after the match ended on Wednesday evening.
Ahly players said that police and armed forces were nowhere to be seen during or after the clashes and rumors were that the al-Masry fans, who initiated the attack after the match, were allegedly preventing the ambulances from entering the stadium for an hour and half.
Some players were also injured during the attack.
Ahly TV showed split screen footage of the clashes beginning and riot police, clad with shields, standing in a tunnel immobile and not moving to intervene.
A makeshift medical unit was established in the Ahly locker room, where the fans and players took shelter from the attack. The head of the Ahly club said the locker room turned into a morgue where people were dying as a result of a lack of medical assistance. Meanwhile, the ruling Council has directed the Nation's Military Hospitals to help out in the treatment of injured thousands, while about 54 have so far been arrested. The ruling Military council said the arrested would face justice.
Source: www.emnnews.com
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