Fans of Gimnasia y Esgrima react in the field after being affected by tear gas during the match against Boca Juniors in La Plata, Argentina, October 6, 2022. /CFP
One person suffered a heart attack and died when violent unrest erupted near a Buenos Aires football match between Boca Juniors and Gimnasia y Esgrima and spilled into the stadium and onto the pitch, authorities said.
"I can confirm that there is one person dead. This person died of cardiac arrest," said Sergio Berni, security minister of Buenos Aires province, where the Argentina league first division match took place. He gave no details about the circumstances in which that person died.
General view of the pitch which was flooded by fans after the game was called off in La Plata, Argentina, October 6, 2022. /CFP
The incident came less than a week after the use of tear gas outside a soccer match in Indonesia left 131 people dead.
Nine minutes into the match, referee Hernan Mastrangelo suspended play. The league said on Twitter that he acted because of the lack of security.
Players retreated to their changing rooms, and many spectators flooded onto the field trying to escape the tear gas.
Only Gimnasia fans were in Juan Carmelo Zerillo stadium in La Plata, since Buenos Aires province banned supporters of visiting teams from games in 2013 amid frequent outbreaks of violence.
The Argentine Football Association said in a tweet that it "expresses its commitment to continue working to eradicate this kind of episode that tarnish the football party."
No new date was announced for resuming the game.
Some fans claimed there had been overselling of tickets amid excitement over the match between two teams fighting for the league title, saying people likely became angry when they could not get into the stadium.
In its security protocols, international football governing body FIFA advises against the use of tear gas in or around stadiums in order to avoid risky situations.
(With input from agencies)