Three people died, and 74 were injured Saturday night after a barrier collapsed at Algiers’ 5 Juillet Stadium during Mouloudia d’Alger’s league title celebrations.
Witnesses say no stampede preceded the collapse, just failing seats and a buckling metal barrier in an overcrowded section.
The fatal incident has triggered nationwide outrage, exposing the dire state of Algeria’s aging sports infrastructure and the government’s chronic neglect.
The Mouloudia Club d’Alger, newly crowned champions of Algeria, was set to receive its league trophy when tragedy struck, prompting organizers to cancel the award ceremony.
Long-standing concerns about the deteriorating state of the 50-year-old stadium, crumbling stands, overcrowded terraces, and poor crowd-control systems, have been repeatedly flagged but left unaddressed.
