In the West African nation of Guinea, a crowd crush at a soccer stadium has left at least 56 people dead.

The chaos occurred at a stadium in the southern city of Nzerekore on Sunday. Fans clashed after protesting a referee's call and throwing stones.

Reuters and other media outlets said police fired tear gas to contain the violence. But the panic spread further and many people rushed toward the exits, resulting in stampedes.

Guinea's interim president Mamadi Doumbouya has promised to hold an election this year for a transition to civilian rule, after seizing power in a military coup in 2021.

But there is no sign of when the election will take place.

Sunday's game was reportedly held to honor Doumbouya. The opposition camp criticized the government for organizing the match to drum up support for him.