Bayelsa mourns soccer fans in Cross River tragedy

The Bayelsa State government has described as unfortunate, tragic, the incident that claimed the lives of several soccer loving fans at a viewing centre in Calabar, Cross River State.

The government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Jonathan Obuebite, offered his condolences to the families of the victims, the Cross River State government and the entire nation’s soccer fans.

The statement reads in part: “The government of Bayelsa State received the tragic news with shock and disbelief for such demise of energetic youths at a viewing centre in Calabar, during the recent UEFA Europa league match between Manchester United and Anderlecht. 
 
“Vibrant lives that were cut short at a time when their state and nation was in dire need of their intellect and services. We hereby sympathise and pray to God to grant the families of the deceased, the Cross River State government and the country as a whole the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

The state government also ‎called on relevant authorities to investigate the cause of the incident and implement mitigating factors to avoid a re-occurrence in the future.