Estadio Nacional disaster

National Stadium disaster
The stadium's western entrance before the 2011 renovations
Date24 May 1964 (1964-05-24)
LocationEstadio Nacional, Lima, Peru
Coordinates12°04′02.2″S 77°02′01.4″W / 12.067278°S 77.033722°W / -12.067278; -77.033722
CauseA stampede as a result of the police gassing the crowd who rebelled against the match.
Deaths328
Non-fatal injuries500

The Estadio Nacional disaster occurred on 24 May 1964 at the Estadio Nacional (National Stadium) in Lima, Peru, during a match between football teams for Peru and Argentina.[1] An unpopular decision by the referee outraged the Peruvian fans, who invaded the pitch. Police retaliated by shooting tear gas into the crowd, causing a mass exodus. The deaths mainly occurred from people suffering from internal hemorrhaging or asphyxiation from the crushing against the steel shutters that led down to the street. The incident is considered the worst disaster in the history of association football.

  1. ^ Edwards, Piers (23 May 2014). "Lima 1964: The world's worst stadium disaster". BBC News. Retrieved 24 May 2014.