Human rights groups in Guinea say they believe more than 135 football fans were killed in a stadium crush on Sunday, most of them children.
The figure, which has not been verified, far exceeds the official number of deaths of 56.
The groups said the estimate was based on information from hospitals, cemeteries, witnesses at the stadium, families of victims, mosques, churches and local media. More than 50 others are still missing, the report said.
However, the military government has warned against spreading “unverified” information and says its investigation into the tragedy in the country’s second-largest city, Nzérékoré, is ongoing.
Justice Minister Yaya Kaïraba Kaba said he had ordered the opening of a judicial investigation against the alleged perpetrators.
He said anyone spreading “unverified or malicious information” would be arrested and prosecuted.
The fatal incident followed a controversial decision by the referee during the match, which led to violence.
Police responded with tear gas as people tried to flee.
But rights groups blamed the game’s organizers and Guinea’s ruling military junta, which held the tournament in honor of President Mamady Doumbouya.
The collective of rights groups in Nzérékoré said there was excessive use of tear gas in a closed area, adding that vehicles carrying officials leaving the stadium also hit civilians trying to escape.
Prime Minister Mamadou Oury Bah announced three days of national mourning for the victims on Tuesday.
Government spokesman Ousmane Gaoual told the local Guineanews site that the country was “in mourning and we must respect the mourning of Guinea and the families” in response to a question about the number of victims.
“The government releases provisional figures and someone comes up with different figures. Where is the contradiction? We have not said these are final figures,” he was quoted as saying.
A local journalist in Nzérékoré previously told the BBC that the stadium was “filled to the brim” with thousands of people before the deadly incident.
Paul Sakouvogi said the stadium had “only one exit… which was very small”, where the clash occurred as people tried to flee.
Guinea is one of several African countries currently banned from hosting international football matches because they do not meet international standards.
Others banned from such matches by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) include Ethiopia, Gambia, Chad and Sierra Leone.
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