Stadium Owner Asks For Patience He Says, ‘We Shouldn’t Look For Scapegoats,’ In Death Of 84

Families carried coffins to the city morgue Thursday, lining up to collect the bodies of dozens of soccer fans killed in a stadium stampede. Stadium owners promised a full investigation.

Rolando Castro, president of the sports confederation which owns Mateo Flores National Stadium, asked for the public’s patience until answers can be found.

“We shouldn’t look for scapegoats,” Castro said. “I want to send a message to the president (Alvaro Arzu), that before making any decisions, at least allow us the right to defend ourselves.”

Arzu, who witnessed Wednesday night’s mayhem from a box seat at the stadium, announced three days of national mourning Thursday.

Guatemalan police so far have offered only a sketchy explanation of what caused the crush that killed at least 84 people at a World Cup qualifying match against Costa Rica Wednesday night. The match was suspended, and there was no word on when it would be rescheduled.

Initially, authorities said the stampede was triggered by people trying to escape a brawl among drunken fans in a general-seating section.

By Thursday evening, Attorney General Victor Hugo Perez had revealed little more about the investigation.

News radio talk shows were flooded with calls from angry residents who demanded that someone be held accountable.

“The soccer officials should pay all the expenses for funeral services,” said one caller. “They’re the ones who are guilty for failing to have enough security.”

Construction worker Armando Martinez, waiting for a bus Thursday, added, “Who is to blame? I don’t know. But the ones who suffer are always us, the poor people.”

Guatemala is an impoverished Central American nation of 11 million people.

Castro said the government and sporting authorities were jointly responsible for security at the game; more than 70 private security guards and 300 national police officers were in and around the stadium at the time.

Ernesto Villa, a top official in the nation’s soccer federation, said: “Unfortunate incidents spun out of control and turned a festive occasion into a sad and bitter night for soccer and all of Guatemala.”

The south section of the stadium where the stampede erupted about an hour before the match was littered with debris Thursday. Workers scrubbed blood-stained benches and picked up shoes and shirts left by the injured and dead.

The number of injured stood at 147. Most were hospitalized for broken bones, bruises and shock. Scores more were treated and released.

The stampede happened when a surging crowd was crushed near a fence just above field level. Reporters and photographers at the stadium estimated that as many as 55,000 people were packed into a stadium designed for 45,000.

Authorities said two people were arrested on charges of selling counterfeit tickets. The world soccer association FIFA said forgers apparently sold fake tickets to the match, drawing far more people to the stadium than could fit.

The director of the capital’s morgue, Mario Guerra, on Thursday authorized bodies to be released to families who were lined up outside. Vendors were hawking coffins at about $58 apiece.