Fan dies as Gimnasia-Boca abandoned after clashes

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Fans spilled onto the Gimnasia pitch as they tried to escape clashes outside the ground

At least one person died after police fired tear gas at fans outside Gimnasia’s stadium during the match against Boca Juniors in Argentina.

Police also fired rubber bullets to try stop supporters getting into the already packed ground on Thursday.

The game was called off after nine minutes, with fans spilling onto the pitch trying to escape the turmoil.

Buenos Aires security minister Sergio Berni confirmed there was one death and that they “died of cardiac arrest”.

Authorities at San Martin hospital in La Plata, the city where Gimnasia are based, also confirmed the death, that of a 57-year-old man because of cardiac arrest as he was being transferred from the stadium to the hospital.

An estimated 10,000 fans were outside the 20,000-capacity stadium and unable to get in.

Berni said an investigation would be opened, with the possible over-selling of tickets one area being looked at.

Fans were squeezing through fencing to try to get onto the pitch of the Juan Carmelo Zerillo stadium in La Plata.

Referee Hernan Mastrangelo said: “It affected all of us on the field.

“The air became unbreathable. The situation got out of control and there were no security guarantees.”

The events in Argentina took place in the wake of the recent tragedy in Indonesia when at least 131 people died.

The disaster in Indonesia happened when police fired tear gas at fans who invaded the pitch after a game and hundreds tried to flee through the exits, which caused a deadly stampede.