This archive report was first published on 18 August 2019.
On August 18, 2019, a chaotic scene unfolded in Honduras as rival football fans clashed ahead of a national championship game.
At least three people lost their lives and seven were injured in the riots, according to Hospital Escuela, which treated the victims.
The violence erupted outside National Stadium in the capital Tegucigalpa, where supporters of Olimpia and Motagua teams, bitter local rivals, had gathered.
"Seven people were admitted, three of them died and four are still being treated in the emergency room," said Julieth Chavarría, a spokesman for Hospital Escuela.
The incident began when a bus carrying Motagua players was attacked, leaving three players injured, according to club president Pedro Atala.
"Bottles, stones were thrown at us and the players threw themselves on the floor screaming," Motagua coach Diego Vásquez told local media.
Following the incident, the game was suspended by the National Football League, and 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.
