Football's worst tragedies

Fans and police clashed at Heysel in 1985

The Ghana football stadium tragedy is the latest in a series to hit the sport in recent weeks.

BBC Sport Online looks at other incidents which have claimed the lives of hundreds of supporters around the world.

9 March 1946
Bolton Wanderers v Stoke City

Tragedy hits an FA Cup tie between Bolton and Stoke when a wall supporting fans collapses at Burden Park.

The collapse crushes spectators and sparks a stampede which kills 33 people and injures more than 400.

24 May 1964
Peru v Argentina

The fierce South American rivalry unfortunately moved from the football pitch into the stands when Argentina beat Peru in Lima in an Olympic qualifying match.

The crowd became incensed when the referee disallowed a Peruvian goal two minutes from time, sparking outrage amongst the fans in the National Stadium.

Their protests soon turned into a full-blown riot and 318 people were killed in the ensuing violence, with more than 500 major injuries.

23 June 1968
River Plate v Boca Juniors

Seventy four people are killed and more than 150 are injured when spectators mistakenly headed towards a closed exit after a first division match in Buenos Aires.

The fans at the front of the melee are crushed to death against the doors by other fans unaware of the closed passageway at the back.

2 January 1971
Celtic v Rangers

The Old Firm derby attracted enormous crowds and this game at Ibrox Stadium was no different.

The match was heading for a goalless draw until Celtic scored with a minute to go, prompting a mass exodus of disappointed Rangers fans.

Although Colin Stein scored for Rangers in the last minute for 1-1 draw, many Rangers supporters were still on their way out.

But with so many fans leaving at the same time, the downward force pushed many people trying to get out to the stadium onto the ground.

The momentum of the crowd meant that once people started to fall, there was no way of holding the mass of bodies back and 66 people lost their lives, with another 140 suffering injuries.

Click here for more detail

20 October 1982
Spartak Moscow v Haarlem

Three hundred and forty people were reportedly killed during a European Cup match in Moscow.

Police were blamed for the incident because they were said to have forced fans down a narrow, icy staircase before the end of the match.

The aftermath of the fire at Bradford

But when a late goal was scored, exiting fans tred to re-enter the stadium, crushing the people caught in the middle.

Russians officials attempted to claim the official casualty loss was only 61 and the police were not responsible for the disaster.

11 May 1985
Bradford City v Lincoln City

A stray lit cigarette stub ignited a wooden terrace section at Valley Parade.

Fire soon engulfed the stand, causing 56 people to lose their lives in one of the worst tragedies in English football.

29 May 1985
Juventus v Liverpool

Trouble began when fights broke out between rival English and Italian supporters at the European Cup final at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels.

Police repeatedly clashed with fans, but when a wall separating the two sets of fans collapsed, a riot ensued, taking the lives of 39 spectators.

12 March 1988
Kathmandu, Nepal

At least 93 people were killed and 100 more were injured when fans attempted to flee from a hailstorm inside the stadium.

Floral tributes to those who died at Hillsborough

But they could not escape because the stadium doors are locked, causing a fatal crush at the front.

15 April 1989
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest

The worst tragedy in English football happened during an FA Cup semi-final at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, killing 96 people.

Police, worried about the number of Liverpool fans outside the ground, opened one of the main gates which resulted in a huge number of fans entering the Leppings Lane end.

The sudden surge crushed many Liverpool fans against the riot fencing which surrounded around the ground.

The disaster prompted huge changes in the structure of English football when Lord Justice Taylor published his report into the incident.

Click here for more detail

16 October 1996
Guatemala v Costa Rica

Eighty four people died and more than 150 others were injured during a stampede at an all-Central American clash in Guatemala City.

11 April 2001
Kaizer Chiefs v Orlando Pirates

A stampede at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesberg results in the deaths of 43 people, the worst disaster in South Africa's sporting history.

30 April 2001
Lupopo v Mazembe

An eventual total of 14 people killed during a stampede following crowd trouble at a major league match at city of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo.