Chaotic Scenes Reported at World Cup Fan Zone
There were reports of chaotic scenes at a World Cup fan zone in Doha ahead of the tournament’s first game on November 20, with a huge crowd overwhelming capacity, and some fans reporting that they feared for their safety amid crushing.
The fan zone at Al Bidda Park has a capacity of 40,000, but as many as twice that number sought entry.
A source who sent video anonymously to Storyful said he witnessed “terrifying and shocking scenes at the entrance to the fan festival in Qatar”. His video shows a large crowd outside the venue. Other videos showed crowds surging forward, and security trying to hold people back.
The crowd can be heard chanting “Open” at officials near the entrance.
ESPN reported that local officials had shut access to Al Bidda Park when the venue reached capacity, but that fans were still in line to get in an hour before the Qatar v Ecuador kickoff at 7 pm local time.
No arrests or injuries were reported. Credit: Anonymous via Storyful
Video Transcript
- Hey. Stop, man. Hey.
[CHATTER]
- Open. Open. Open.
[CHATTER]
- Hey. Stop, man. Hey.
[CHATTER]
- Open. Open. Open.
[CHATTER]
