Ellis Park Stadium disaster
Encyclopedia
The Ellis Park Stadium disaster was the worst sporting accident in South African history. On 11 April 2001, spectators poured into the Ellis Park Stadium
in the city of Johannesburg
, Gauteng Province, South Africa
for the local derby football
match between Kaizer Chiefs
and Orlando Pirates. There was already a 60,000 capacity crowd in the stadium
, but reports suggest a further 30,000 fans were still trying to gain entry to the stadium. Reports also suggest that 120,000 fans were admitted into the stadium. An Orlando Pirates equaliser sparked a further surge by the fans trying to gain entry as they scrambled to see what had happened.
As the crowd surged to gain seats and see the pitch, they overspilled into press box
es. As the stampede
pressed forward, 43 people were crushed to death. Apparently untrained security guards firing tear gas at the stampeding fans exacerbated the situation, and may have been the cause of some of the deaths. The South African Police Department denies these claims. The final inquiry into the incident concluded that a major cause was bribed security personnel admitting fans without tickets into the stadium and poor crowd control.
When it became apparent what had happened, the match was halted and the crowd was dispersed. The bodies were laid out on the pitch for identification and medical attention, but none was revived. It is the worst sporting accident in South African history. The second worst, the Orkney Stadium Disaster
, mirrored this one as it involved the same two teams. Forty-two people died in 1991 in a stampede after too many fans were admitted to Oppenheimer Stadium
in Orkney, a provincial town some 200 km from Johannesburg.
Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's...
in the city of Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, Gauteng Province, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
for the local derby football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
match between Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs Football Club
Kaizer Chiefs is a South African football club based in Johannesburg that plays in the Premier Soccer League.The team is nicknamed Amakhosi which means "lords" or "chiefs" in Zulu and Phefeni Glamour Boys. They currently play most of their home games at Soccer City in Nasrec, Soweto, which is...
and Orlando Pirates. There was already a 60,000 capacity crowd in the stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
, but reports suggest a further 30,000 fans were still trying to gain entry to the stadium. Reports also suggest that 120,000 fans were admitted into the stadium. An Orlando Pirates equaliser sparked a further surge by the fans trying to gain entry as they scrambled to see what had happened.
As the crowd surged to gain seats and see the pitch, they overspilled into press box
Press box
The press box is a special section of a sports stadium or arena that is set up for the media to report about a given event. It is typically located in the section of the stadium holding the luxury box. In general, newspaper writers sit in this box and write about the on-field event as it unfolds...
es. As the stampede
Stampede
A stampede is an act of mass impulse among herd animals or a crowd of people in which the herd collectively begins running with no clear direction or purpose....
pressed forward, 43 people were crushed to death. Apparently untrained security guards firing tear gas at the stampeding fans exacerbated the situation, and may have been the cause of some of the deaths. The South African Police Department denies these claims. The final inquiry into the incident concluded that a major cause was bribed security personnel admitting fans without tickets into the stadium and poor crowd control.
When it became apparent what had happened, the match was halted and the crowd was dispersed. The bodies were laid out on the pitch for identification and medical attention, but none was revived. It is the worst sporting accident in South African history. The second worst, the Orkney Stadium Disaster
Orkney Stadium Disaster
The Orkney Stadium Disaster at the Oppenheimer Stadium in the city of Orkney, North West Province, South Africa was the second worst sporting incident in South African history, with 42 deaths....
, mirrored this one as it involved the same two teams. Forty-two people died in 1991 in a stampede after too many fans were admitted to Oppenheimer Stadium
Oppenheimer Stadium
Oppenheimer Stadium is a football stadium in Orkney, South Africa. It currently has a capacity of 23,000, but that will be increased to 40,000 for the 2010 Football World Cup....
in Orkney, a provincial town some 200 km from Johannesburg.