Soccer Stampede Kills 12 In Zimbabwe

Police fired tear gas at bottle-throwing fans during a World Cup qualifier Sunday between Zimbabwe and South Africa, setting off a stampede that killed 12 people.

Players from both soccer teams choked and writhed on the field, covering their faces as tear gas spread through the stadium.

"We have 12 bodies," a police officer at Harare's main hospital said, on condition of anonymity. The deaths were the result of the soccer stampede.

A doctor said most of the deaths were from internal injuries consistent with being crushed.

Anxious relatives waiting for news gathered outside Parirenyapwa Hospital's emergency ward, where numerous injured patients were being treated.

Fans hurled bottles and other items onto the field after South Africa scored its second goal in the 84th minute, giving the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Police then fired tear gas at the crowd of more than 50,000. A stampede broke out as the fans scrambled to leave National Sports Stadium. A fire hydrant was torn from its mountings, spraying water over fleeing fans.

Stadium officials called the police response a "total overreaction," the South African Press Association reported.

The game was called off with 10 minutes left but South Africa's 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe was ruled official.

The violence came three days after South Africa was denied in its bid to become the first African country to hold the World Cup. Germany was awarded the 2006 tournament in a 12-11 vote by soccer's ruling body.

South Africa made it to the first round of the 1998 World Cup and placed third in this year's African Nations Cup. Zimbabwe has never qualified for the World Cup and did not qualify for this year's African Nations Cup.

The game was one of eight World Cup qualifiers, all in Africa, on Sunday.