President consoles bereaved families and orders probe

President John Evans Atta Mills has directed an enquiry into the death of six people in Kumasi following the incidence at the Baba Yara Sports stadium in the match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko last Sunday.

He said the enquiry should be carried out to ascertain the causes of the incident so that among other things, measures would be put in place to prevent future occurrences.

President Mills also extended his condolence to the bereaved families and expressed his sympathy to all those who were injured or had suffered various medical conditions, resulting from the incidence.

A statement issued from the Office of the President signed by Mr Mahama Ayariga, Presidential Spokesperson, said the President acknowledges the effort of members of the security agencies and other well-meaning members of the public to ameliorate the situation.

So far six football fans including a student suffocated to death at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on Sunday during the Ninth Week League encounter between the two arch rivals.

Master Bruce Oteng, a student of the Winneba Campus of the University of Education together with three others yet to be identified died on the way to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital on Sunday following severe suffocation which made them collapse in the over-crowded stands.

Scores of fans also collapsed in the heated stands and were brought unto the tartan tracks to be resuscitated by para-medics before they were rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

Two others who were among those on admission died later.