A title-clinching goalless draw between MC Alger and NC Magra turned tragic when a section of the Stade du 5 Juillet collapsed, leading to the deaths of three fans and injuries to more than 70 others. The horrifying incident occurred just after the final whistle, overshadowing the club’s league victory celebration.
The catastrophe unfolded when a security barrier on the upper tier gave way, sending dozens of supporters plunging into the lower section of the 64,200-seat stadium. Emergency medical teams responded swiftly, and chaotic scenes of panic spread across the venue in Algiers.
Photographs circulating online revealed the exact location where the railing broke, just steps from where jubilant MC Alger players had been celebrating moments earlier. Nearby supporters looked on in horror as medics assisted the injured.
The Algerian Ministry of Health reported that 38 injured individuals were treated at Beni Messous University Hospital, with 27 more at Ben Aknoun Hospital and 16 at Bab El Oued Hospital. Ambulances and emergency personnel remained on-site late into the evening.
Prior to confirmation of additional fatalities, MC Alger publicly mourned the death of fan Younes Amguzzi, who was identified as one of the victims of the fall. The club expressed their deep sorrow and offered condolences to his family.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune extended his sympathies to the grieving families and wished all those injured a swift recovery, as the nation reels from the devastating aftermath of what should have been a moment of sporting celebration.