Egypt soccer riot kills 73

Egypt's parliament has scheduled a special session on Thursday to probe the causes of a riot at a soccer game that left more than 70 people dead and 1,000 injured.

Officials in Port Said, where the violence occurred on Wednesday, raised the death toll to 73 after fans of rival soccer teams rushed the field, hurling stones and sticks at each other and sparking a stampede. Citing the Health Ministry, state television reported another 1,000 people were injured in the riot.

Witnesses said most of the deaths appeared to have occurred in a stampede after fans of the home team, Al-Masry, stormed on to the field following an upset 3-1 victory against Al-Ahly, Egypt's top team whose home is Cairo.

A medical official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information, said the dead included an unknown number of security officers. Another official said most of the injuries appeared to have been caused by blunt objects and knives, suggesting the few security officers on hand were either unwilling or unable to prevent weapons from being brought into the stadium.

Egypt's state prosecutor has ordered an immediate investigation into the causes of the deaths, as authorities, including religious leaders, urged people to contain their emotions.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the country's largest political force, accused supporters of ousted President Hosni Mubarak of instigating the violence.

"The events in Port Said are planned and are a message from the remnants of the former regime," parliamentarian Essam al-Erian said in a statement on the group's Freedom and Justice Party website translated by the Al-Jazeera news network.

Mohamad Shaban , who witnessed the riot, told CBC News soccer matches featuring top teams typically have a lot of security and police to contain potential violence.

"We used to have a big security from the police but this time we don't know what happened," Shaban said. "The people after the game — a lot of people — came down to the land and tried to go to the people and they hit each other."

If so many people can die in such a riot, he added, the country does not need the sport.

"No, we don't need football again," he said. "So we ask now to no longer continue for the champions league in Egypt and we ask for them to tell us what happened."

The head of the country's ruling military council ordered two helicopters be sent immediately to Port Said to bring the Cairo team home. The players were taken to the locker room for protection, Sayed Hamdi, a player, told state TV.

"This is not football, this is a war and people are dying in front of us," Ahli player Abo Treika told the team's television channel. "There is no movement and no security and no ambulances. I call for the Premier League to be cancelled. This is horrible situation and today can never be forgotten."

Soon after the violence, a soccer game in Cairo Stadium between the Al-Ismailiya and Zamalek teams was called off in mourning for the violence in Port Said.

That apparently outraged Zamalek's fans, who set some sections of the stadium on fire, state radio reported.