One dead in violent clashes at Argentina football match

One person died Thursday following violent clashes that started outside a soccer match on the outskirts of Buenos Aires before spilling into the stadium and onto the pitch, authorities said.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas as they attempted to stop fans attending the match between top-flight teams Boca Juniors and Gimnasia y Esgrima from pushing into the already crowded venue.

The unrest outside the Carmelo Zerillo stadium in La Plata, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) south of Argentina's capital, continued inside, where shocked spectators were seen squeezing through fencing to escape the violence and get onto the field.

"There were about 10,000 people around the stadium trying to get in, some with tickets, some without. Everyone could see that the stadium was very full," said Eduardo Aparicio, head of a government agency tasked with preventing violence in sports.

"All this is being investigated," including "the actions of the police," he added.

Authorities at San Martin hospital in La Plata confirmed the death of 57-year-old Cesar Regueiro from cardiac arrest as he was being transferred from the stadium to a hospital.

A cameraman for sports channel TyC was injured by rubber bullets while dozens of spectators were suffering from the effects of tear gas and had been taken to hospitals, according to local media.

The game was suspended after nine minutes due to a lack of security, referee Hernan Mastrangelo said.

"It affected all of us on the field," he added. "The air became unbreathable. The situation got out of control and there were no security guarantees."

Explosions were heard inside the stadium and smoke from the fumes quickly reached the pitch.

The players, the referee and technical staff members were forced to evacuate the field.

At the same time, fans, including children being led or carried by adults, rushed from the stands and onto the pitch, where people were seen sitting or lying down apparently recovering from tear gas exposure.

"The first thing I saw was that people had started to flee the stalls and I began to feel the effects of the gas. I thought about my family and I started to worry," Nicolas Contin, a Gimnasia player, said from the locker room where he had carried his young son.

"I'm angry about everything that happened."