Basra - (AFP) - At least one person was killed Thursday, while "dozens" were injured, as a result of a stampede between fans who had gathered since the early morning in front of the Palm Trunk Stadium in Basra in southern Iraq, to watch the final match of the Gulf Cup between Iraq and Oman. Two medical and security sources told AFP.

Many Iraqis are looking forward to this final match of the 25th Gulf Cup, a tournament that Iraq will host on its soil for the first time in more than 40 years, during which it has gone through many wars and conflicts.

A medical source, who preferred not to be identified, said that "a person died, while about dozens of others were slightly injured," as a result of a stampede among thousands of fans who did not carry cards and wanted to watch the match, which starts at seven o'clock in the evening (16:00 GMT).

A source in the Ministry of Interior confirmed this toll. The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, "The reason for the stampede was the arrival of large numbers of fans, especially people who do not have a card."

He added that the fans "gathered since the morning and tried to enter," which led to overcrowding in front of the stadium gates and a stampede.
An AFP photographer inside the stadium reported hearing the sounds of ambulances that came to collect the injured from this accident, adding that the entrance gates to the stadium were closed when the stampede occurred.

In the aftermath of the incident, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani went to Basra, according to a statement issued by his office.
The statement stated that Al-Sudani held an "urgent meeting with a number of ministers and the governor of Basra to find out the preparations for the 25th Gulf Cup final."

In a message, Al-Swadani called on the people of Basra to "provide assistance and support to all your brothers in the concerned authorities to show the final of the Gulf Championship 25 in the most beautiful way."

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Army Command called on the Iraqis, in a statement, to "commit to the instructions and directives for the final of the Gulf Championship in its twenty-fifth edition," and that "in order to complete this football wedding in a civilized manner befitting the history of Iraq."

And scenes captured by AFP photographers showed thousands of people gathered in the vicinity of the stadium since the early hours of the morning.
This match is of great importance to the Iraqis, as if Iraq wins it, it will be the fourth title in its history and the first in nearly 35 years.

The tournament includes 8 countries, namely Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Yemen and the UAE.

However, organizational problems have emerged since the opening of the tournament two weeks ago, as journalists and thousands of card-holders were unable to enter the stadium, for no apparent reason.

Also, the editorial witnessed the departure of the Kuwaiti delegation, which prompted Iraq to apologize due to some organizational problems.

At the time, the Iraqi Football Association expressed its "deep regret at the scenes of the mass stampede that occurred in front of the stadium and inside the main booth," stressing that "the Iraqi Federation, as well as those in charge of organizing the tournament, will take into account the need to avoid what happened to ensure that the organizational process appears in the best way, starting with the matches. The second day of the tournament.

Two weeks ago, the city of Basra began receiving thousands of Arab fans who flocked to this city located in the far south of Iraq, and it is the center of the richest Iraqi province in oil, but it suffers from a deterioration in its infrastructure.

Iraq sometimes witnesses similar incidents, the most recent of which was the stampede that occurred in Karbala during the Ashura commemoration in the year 2019, in which millions of Shiite Muslims from Iraq and neighboring countries participated, and 31 people were killed.