National Stadium of Lima Peru

 

National Stadium of Lima Peru

 

59 years of the tragedy, that left more than 300 dead

Source: The Chronicle Viva Lima Peru

 

This May 24 marks the 59th anniversary of one of the greatest tragedies in world football, which occurred when 320 fans died in the packed National Stadium in Lima during a match between Peru and Argentina, qualifying for the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games.

 

The tragedy occurred on May 24, 1964, when a fan, Víctor Vásquez, known as "Negro Bomba", entered the field of play to rebuke the referee, who had cancelled a goal scored by Peru, who was playing against Argentina in the qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.

 

The policemen threw the trained dogs on the man and, after having neutralized him, they beat him, which enervated the spirits of a group of fans who began to destroy the seats in the stands.

 

The agents threw tear gas canisters towards the stands, which produced a stampede of thousands of people who found themselves with the doors closed when trying to leave the Nacional.

 

This caused 320 fans to die crushed and suffocated, in what has been considered the greatest tragedy produced in a soccer stadium in the world.

 

Former Peruvian international soccer player Héctor Chumpitaz, who was playing for the national team on the day of the tragedy, once said that those events were “the saddest part” of his sports career.

 

"The angry crowd turned and burned the bus that transported the Argentine team, the stadium doors were swollen as if it were a pregnant woman (due to the amount of accumulated corpses)," recalled Chumpitaz.

 

“Remembering it is a bit hard. People go to the stadium to enjoy and have fun, but that time there were many victims, ”he commented.

 

Recognition of corpses in the Morgue of Lima.

 

The fans despair in the stands. The police prepare to attack.

A tear gas bomb thrown by the Police at the stands, is returned by the fans to the field of play, over the players of the Argentina team.

The Police have fired the gases towards the stands. The fans run desperately towards the exit. Tragedy: The doors were closed, more than 300 people died of suffocation.

Futile efforts in the stands to make the victims of the tragedy react.

 

 

Víctor Melesio Vásquez Campos, alias “Negro Bomba”, jumps from the East stand to attack the referee.

 

The Police detain a second spectator who entered the playing field to attack the referee.

 

The Police remove the second spectator who entered the playing field to attack the referee.

 

The Uruguayan referee Ángel Eduardo Pazos cancels the goal of the Peruvian

“Kilo” Lobatón, which unleashes the anger of the fans and ignites the spark that starts the tragedy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Infographic of the tragedy made by the press of the time.

Documentation: Walter Sosa Vivanco

With affection,

Ruben