Fans recount Egypt soccer violence

Seventy-four people were killed on Wednesday night at a soccer match in Egypt's northern city of Port Said.

One thousand people were also injured after local team al-Masry beat Cairo's Al Ahli club.

Many people blame the ruling military for failing to prevent the violence - amid reports that security stood by as scores were killed.

Here in Cairo, one fan of the Al Ahli Club describes what happened.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MALE AL AHLI FAN WHO WAS AT THE MATCH WHERE VIOLENCE ERUPTED, SAYING:

"They said to us, we have brought your funeral shrouds with us. And then we were attacked horribly. And then they went to the tunnel and the doors were shut with chains, that's the first thing, and the lights were shut off, they were firing rubber bullets. I swear to God, I saw people being thrown off the stadium steps. There was a young man name Islam, who was 17 years old, who was standing next to me and then suddenly he was lying with a skewer in his head, and his eye was blown out the other side of his head."

Another fan says the head of security for Port Said should be held accountable. "Isn't he in charge of our safety?" he asks.

Facing increasing pressure to end frequent bouts of deadly violence in Egypt, the Supreme Council of the Armed forces has declared three days of national mourning, and vowed to compensate victims' families.

Travis Brecher, Reuters