Three die in Honduras soccer match riots

TEGUCIGALPA: At least three people died and seven were injured in riots on Saturday night between rival soccer fans ahead of a national championship game in Honduras, a hospital treating the victims said.

Supporters of Olimpia and Motagua teams—bitter local rivals—rioted outside National Stadium in the capital Tegucigalpa. Julieth ChavarrÃa, a spokesman for Hospital Escuela, told AFP that “seven people were admitted, three of them died and four are still being treated in the emergency room.”

The riot is believed to have started when a bus carrying Motagua players was attacked, leaving three players injured, club president Pedro Atala said on social media. Emilio Izaguirre, Jonathan Rougier, and Roberto Moreira were briefly treated in hospital.

Olympia president Rafael Villeda said the violence was “unfortunate”. Following the incident, the game was suspended by the National Football League.Roughly 10,000 fans who had made it inside the stadium were injured in a stampede to leave, and then caught up in police tear gas outside.