Police deny using tear gas outside crush stadium

Johannesburg police have denied using tear gas outside Ellis Park stadium before the stampede which killed 43 people.

A spokesman said it was too early to blame anyone, but added enough police were on duty for crime prevention purposes.

Superintendent Chris Wilken said too many people wanted to see the game between Kaiser Chiefs and Orlando Pirates and those outside surged forward as it was about to start.

"We did not use tear gas. We are not responsible for access control. That is the function of stadium security," he said.

The stampede is the worst sporting disaster in South African history. A commission of inquiry is to be appointed to investigate.

Many bystanders claim stadium security was at fault and guards used some form of gas to force crowds back.

Some security guards said crowds broke down an outer fence they were guarding after gates leading to an inner plaza were closed on the orders of stadium managers. The guards said the 62000-capacity stadium was already packed to capacity.

Kaiser Chiefs and Orlando Pirates fans still outside then tried to force their way in, climbing over the gates and breaking down the fence, say guards.

The guards also say police fired rubber bullets and tried to erect a barbed wire barricade. The claims could not be verified with police, reports the iafrica website.

Reports say 85 people are still being treated in hospital, with 15 of them in serious conditions.

Of those who died, five are said to have been under 15.