Cairo, Egypt—At least 27 people were injured on Saturday when part of a sports stadium south of Cairo collapsed during a basketball match, Egypt’s health ministry said.
Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said “27 people were injured, some with fractures and bleeding,” adding that “most were non-life-threatening injuries”.
The Egyptian basketball federation suspended the match between Alexandria’s Al Ittihad and Cairo’s Al Ahly as first responders rushed to the Hassan Mostafa Sports Hall in the October 6 suburb.
More than 20 ambulances were dispatched to take the injured fans to hospital from the sports venue, the ministry added.
Youth and Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhi has appointed a committee to look into the circumstances of the incident.
Meanwhile, in Beijing, China, rescuers were working Sunday to reach 18 people trapped underground after a cave-in at a gold mine in northwest China’s Xinjiang region, state media reported.
A total of 40 people were working underground at the mine in Yining county, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the border with Kazakhstan, at the time of the collapse Saturday afternoon.
Twenty-two miners were brought to the surface but 18 remain trapped.
“A rescue operation is underway to retrieve the remaining miners,” Xinhua news agency said late Saturday.
Mine safety has improved in recent decades, as has media coverage of major incidents, many of which were once overlooked.
But accidents still occur frequently in an industry where safety instructions are often lax, especially at the most rudimentary sites.
