Basra Stadium Stampede (football match).

[Lida93]

There was a stampede at the Basra stadium just before the kick-off time, and this stampede happened as the football match fans matched up their way to the Basra international stadium for the match between Iraq and Oman. According to the Iraqi football association 4 Iraqis dead, 20 suffocated cases and about 80 injured during the stampede which the match organisers allegedly blamed ticketless fans for the stampede as they tried to scale through several possible loopholes and avenue to have access into the stadium.


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/sports/2023/1/20/stampede-mars-iraqs-3-2-victory-over-oman-in-gulf-cup
I understand this to be a sad moment for the Iraqi people as many lives of family members have been loss due to this unfortunate incident which would have been possibly avoided given the antecedent of situation outside the stadium early before the stampede took place.
In recent years there has been cases of stampedes in events such as this in different parts of the world. And my position here is, who's to be blamed in such situation just like this one at Basra stadium, Iraq. Is the fault from the side of the football fans or is due to poor organisation from the side of the organisers? 
Can we also recommend possible ways with which such cases can be arrested or adverted in the future.

[dothebeats]

Should be more on the organizer's fault because they should have anticipated that there will be fans who will really try and force to get in even though they don't have tickets. Beef up the security around the perimeter and tighten up entry points to make sure that they will not be able to get inside the stadium. Pretty sure they already realized that there are a lot of football fans in the area that would really love to watch the game, so maybe they could have set up large viewing screens outside of the stadiums too. What a sad day for Iraq and Oman, especially to those families of the dead.

[Bushdark]

This is an ugly situation and I wish the wounded fans quick recovery. This should have been prevented if there is a full scale security to safe guard the loopholes that would have prevented such incident from happening.

In this case I would blame the government not the poor fans would could not afford the ticket or the entrance fee to the venue. Things like this do happens once in a while and I hope other government bodies would learn from this so it wouldn't happen next time. For those that had lost there lives at the process, may there soul rest in peace. I don't see this as an avenue to blame the officials that are in charge of the stadium because they may not be conscious enough that things like that could ever happens.

[coin-investor]

The article writes that

Baghdad last staged a competitive international game in September 2001 against Bahrain.

this is 11 years ago and the fans are just so excited to see the games between Iraq and Oman and they disregard their safety just to watch the game, this is very unfortunate, this is an organizer's nightmare especially for the Iraqi organizers as they  are looking

bigger prize of hosting the 2026 World Cup qualifiers seemed to be within reach.

, this stampede stops their momentum to vie for that.

[stomachgrowls]

Should be more on the organizer's fault because they should have anticipated that there will be fans who will really try and force to get in even though they don't have tickets. Beef up the security around the perimeter and tighten up entry points to make sure that they will not be able to get inside the stadium. Pretty sure they already realized that there are a lot of football fans in the area that would really love to watch the game, so maybe they could have set up large viewing screens outside of the stadiums too. What a sad day for Iraq and Oman, especially to those families of the dead.

Its their responsibility indeed which it would really be just common sense that they should tighten up the security because tendency of stampede would be always there considering if they do saw
that there are lots of fans around the venue which doesnt have any tickets and one desperate move of a particular person wants to see the game will really be the catalyst which would
really spark up that kind of panic and desperation to get into the venue and doesnt mind on what would happen next.If they had just put up those big screens
outside or particular place for die hard fans or who does really want to watch out at least then they might be able to avoid such incident but well its already late.

[seoincorporation]

This is an ugly situation and I wish the wounded fans quick recovery. This should have been prevented if there is a full scale security to safe guard the loopholes that would have prevented such incident from happening.

I agree this is a true tragedy... too bad that people lose their minds and act like that, it doesn't worth risking human lives for a soccer match. Even if it's the best match in history it doesn't worth it. But the problem here was the security in the stadium, they didn't take the right security measures, and the price to pay for such a big mistake this time was big.

Let's hope they learn the lesson and do it right the next time.

[AmoreJaz]

This is an ugly situation and I wish the wounded fans quick recovery. This should have been prevented if there is a full scale security to safe guard the loopholes that would have prevented such incident from happening.

I agree this is a true tragedy... too bad that people lose their minds and act like that, it doesn't worth risking human lives for a soccer match. Even if it's the best match in history it doesn't worth it. But the problem here was the security in the stadium, they didn't take the right security measures, and the price to pay for such a big mistake this time was big.

Let's hope they learn the lesson and do it right the next time.

this is what i am thinking. if you are an avid fan, do you really think it is worth risking your life to this kind of event? because the reality is, these people - athletes and the organisers don't care about the fans. much better to watch the match quietly at home. i understand, you want to get a glimpse of the team you are rooting for, but i think, it is still best to think about your safety as no one will look after you but yourself.

[BitDane]

I also think that this is more on the organizer's fault.  Their lapse on security resulted in these stampede.  they are blaming the ticketless when they have the authority to stop them and even put them in arrest.  With a strong security line up, I doubt this ticketless will do things they did that causes the stampede.  So I think organizers should always take priority of their client's lives, planning ahead and patching holes that can cause tragedy like this.  So for me it is the organizers poor crowd management and inadequate safety measures.

[robelneo]

I also think that this is more on the organizer's fault.  Their lapse on security resulted in these stampede.  they are blaming the ticketless when they have the authority to stop them and even put them in arrest.  With a strong security line up, I doubt this ticketless will do things they did that causes the stampede.  So I think organizers should always take priority of their client's lives, planning ahead and patching holes that can cause tragedy like this.  So for me it is the organizers poor crowd management and inadequate safety measures.

This is a big event for Iraqi football organizations because it's been over 20 years since they hold a competitive international game
and yet they did not take the necessary precautionary measures to insure that it did not happen but unfortunately it happened, the organizers get all the blame here because they did not have proper crowd control, they should have learned from past stampedes like what happened in Indonesia, it takes out the glory and beauty of the game because of this worse scenario.

[PX-Z]

This is the worst nightmare that could happen in a huge event like this. That's why i'm always hesitant to go to an event where huge crowd gatherings. I remember last halloween in Seoul where hundreds had died due to stampede as well, although its not a sport event.

For an event like this organizers had the most responsibility make things peace and order. If there were to blame then they should be responsible for this.

[Baofeng]

I also think that this is more on the organizer's fault.  Their lapse on security resulted in these stampede.  they are blaming the ticketless when they have the authority to stop them and even put them in arrest.  With a strong security line up, I doubt this ticketless will do things they did that causes the stampede.  So I think organizers should always take priority of their client's lives, planning ahead and patching holes that can cause tragedy like this.  So for me it is the organizers poor crowd management and inadequate safety measures.

This is a big event for Iraqi football organizations because it's been over 20 years since they hold a competitive international game
and yet they did not take the necessary precautionary measures to insure that it did not happen but unfortunately it happened, the organizers get all the blame here because they did not have proper crowd control, they should have learned from past stampedes like what happened in Indonesia, it takes out the glory and beauty of the game because of this worse scenario.

Yes, it's just sad beginning for them, after 20 years, they must be very happy or at least the fans are to see a very good and competitive international game in their home soil, unfortunately it turns out to be a disaster for the organizers as it lead to deaths and injuries.

Partly to blame is the obvious organizers, who didn't provide enough people and security to those crowds.

Sadly, we have so many stampedes in sports, even recently we have one Halloween stampede in South Korean killing 150 (although not related to sports).

[STT]

Theres guidelines given out by FIFA for just this reason, its happened the world over that people have been crushed just for going to a match.   Blame may not help a reoccurrence, all parties involved need to investigate and decide how to prevent it happening again.

2026 World Cup qualifiers

Seems quite unlikely unless series inroads made to policy but this happens in every country I can think of.   Any mass amount of people its on the cards to occur depending on the temperament of the people that day, I think no short measure can be made on crowd control in the city, around the match and inside also.  Thats alot of staff required and cost to some extent which is a discouragement but cant be skipped when we see how easily people can die.

[Silberman]

I understand this to be a sad moment for the Iraqi people as many lives of family members have been loss due to this unfortunate incident which would have been possibly avoided given the antecedent of situation outside the stadium early before the stampede took place.
In recent years there has been cases of stampedes in events such as this in different parts of the world. And my position here is, who's to be blamed in such situation just like this one at Basra stadium, Iraq. Is the fault from the side of the football fans or is due to poor organisation from the side of the organisers? 
Can we also recommend possible ways with which such cases can be arrested or adverted in the future.

The organizers are always at fault when it comes to this, it is to be assumed fans will try to watch a sport event or a concert without paying, and there must be a way to identify the fans that paid their ticket and allow them in, while blocking the access to those that did not pay while still keeping them safe, this brings to my mind the Hillsborough tragedy which resulted in 97 deaths and which took decades to find out the truth as the police hid their involvement in the tragedy by blaming the fans when they were the ones at fault.

[rahmad2nd]

Very unfortunate with the actions that are not responsible for the incidents that occurred.

I am very concerned and my deepest condolences, to the spectators who were victims of this incident. like what happened in my country a few months ago, whatever triggers the incident, the organizers should have prepared to anticipate riots like this. Incidents like this should never happen again. especially if the fans of each team who do not have tickets are not desperate to break into the stadium.

Cases like this, can not only blame from the organizers alone. as fans of the team must also think rationally, this is a shared problem. which means, the government and the football federation in that country, must intervene to resolve incidents like this, so that they don't happen again in the future.

[Slow death]

who's to be blamed in such situation just like this one at Basra stadium, Iraq. Is the fault from the side of the football fans or is due to poor organisation from the side of the organisers?

in this case, the fault lies with the people who did not buy a ticket, people need to understand that in an event it is soccer games, basketball, music that is private and that people need to pay to have access to the event location and because the event organizers spent money investing in this event and they want profits, that's why people must pay to have access to the space where the event will be organized

but unfortunately some people don't understand the great harm they do by trying to enter without paying, they are harming the event organizer and at the same time they are putting people's lives at risk

Can we also recommend possible ways with which such cases can be arrested or adverted in the future.

in the future there should be more security at game venues and a better way to check people who have tickets

[TimeTeller]

who's to be blamed in such situation just like this one at Basra stadium, Iraq. Is the fault from the side of the football fans or is due to poor organisation from the side of the organisers?

in this case, the fault lies with the people who did not buy a ticket, people need to understand that in an event it is soccer games, basketball, music that is private and that people need to pay to have access to the event location and because the event organizers spent money investing in this event and they want profits, that's why people must pay to have access to the space where the event will be organized

but unfortunately some people don't understand the great harm they do by trying to enter without paying, they are harming the event organizer and at the same time they are putting people's lives at risk

Can we also recommend possible ways with which such cases can be arrested or adverted in the future.

in the future there should be more security at game venues and a better way to check people who have tickets

That is very correct. If you know you don't have the ticket, why are you joining those ticketless fans pushing yourself inside?
Expect that there will be chaos if those people will act like that, since you are in thousands outside the stadium, stampeded is indeed imminent.
You can avoid this situation happening if you won't go to overcrowded events. If you don't have ticket, then don't go hoping they will let you in.
Would be more peaceful if you will watch it over your TV at home. It may not be a personal experience but you will save yourself from such horrible incident.

[n0ne]

We can't blame the football fans, if the organisers have arranged it in the better way this could've been avoided. When a football match is being conducted, surely the organisers will know about the expected crowd.

Football fans won't directly get into these kind of activities. In the past there might be some fans who used loopholes to enter the stadium and watch the game. The same might've got spread and at the time it is impossible to have control. Hope these kind of stampede won't happen again.

[BitDane]

We can't blame the football fans, if the organisers have arranged it in the better way this could've been avoided. When a football match is being conducted, surely the organisers will know about the expected crowd.

Organizers as I stated have the problem here.  They probably deploy too little security personnel to watch over the security of the vicinity.  It is either of small number of security personnel or the security personnel have their lapses in security giving an opportunity to ticketless fans to enter the stadium.

Football fans won't directly get into these kind of activities. In the past there might be some fans who used loopholes to enter the stadium and watch the game. The same might've got spread and at the time it is impossible to have control. Hope these kind of stampede won't happen again.

I think this had been a practiced in that area, and probably this is not the first time the ticketless fans are able to enter that vicinity.  I believe it has been a long time problem that there are security lapses during the events making these ticketless fans enter the venue.  It's that the result of that security lapses happened  in this event causing a stampede that cost several lives.

[Viscore]

Should be more on the organizer's fault because they should have anticipated that there will be fans who will really try and force to get in even though they don't have tickets. Beef up the security around the perimeter and tighten up entry points to make sure that they will not be able to get inside the stadium. Pretty sure they already realized that there are a lot of football fans in the area that would really love to watch the game, so maybe they could have set up large viewing screens outside of the stadiums too. What a sad day for Iraq and Oman, especially to those families of the dead.

I also believe that the fault is on the organizers because they have failed to secure strict security knowing that there could be a lot ticketless fans who would die to enter the stadium just to witness the game. Although the fans are also at fault because they never show discipline, but I think the organizers have consider to tighten their security before the event so that a possible stampede can be avoided. I guess in all unexpected events like this, it’s always the organizers and the security on duty are always the one to be blame.

[Mr. Magkaisa]

    - That's how strongly they recognize the football game there in the country of Iraq, there are so many people, and the others to get inside the field area are already outside early in the morning and the others have spent the night there.

And what's even more surprising is that the other families are still with their children and the others are babies too. It was a little unexpected that the organizers held on to the huge crowd and the others who didn't have tickets insisted on getting in if I understood the article correctly as if that was the cause of the stampede incident. It's like it's traumatic when you see something like that as if you'd rather be at home watching a football game than crowding around with the people watching football games.