12 die, hundreds injured celebrating Algeria’s World Cup qualification
Algeria’s celebrations of its 1-0 soccer victory over Burkina Faso took a gruesome turn as 12 people died and 240 sustained injuries, according to a government statement.
Algeria’s victory secured its place in the 2014 FIFA World Cup
finals in Brazil.
People poured into the streets in celebration, both in the
capital, Algiers, and across the country, despite heavy rain,
with enthusiastic citizens beeping their car horns and exercising
other 'reckless behavior' throughout the country’s streets
Tuesday night.
During the celebrations, a van slid off a road into a chasm in
the northern coastal mountain town of Bejaia, killing five
people. Four others died in a car accident in Biskra, further
south. A further three people died in other towns celebrating the
victory, AP cited government officials as saying.
No further details were given as to the whereabouts or
circumstances of the other casualties.
The nation of soccer enthusiasts will see its fourth World Cup
entrance, the last of which was in 2010. Algeria's captain Madgid
Bougherra scored the winning goal for the qualifier.
