3 dead in soccer riot in Honduras as opposing fans attack team bus

Three people were killed during riots before a soccer match in Honduras late Saturday when opposing fans attacked a team bus and chaos broke out between spectators and police. At least 10 other people were injured, some seriously, according to the Honduran Red Cross.

The game between Motagua and Olimpia was called off due to the riots.

The rioting broke out after a group of Olimpia fans allegedly attacked the team bus carrying Motagua players at the stadium. Three players suffered minor injuries, according to the team.

The club tweeted photos of their bus with holes in the windows from objects being thrown threw them.

"Motagua Soccer Club will not be present for the match against Olimpia due to the acts of vandalism that our team suffered by fans of the Ultra Faithful on their way to the national stadium, where we have several players injured by glass," the team wrote on Twitter in Spanish.

Defender Roberto Moreira, goalkeeper Jonathan Rougier and winger Emilio Izaguirre were the three players injured by broken glass, the team said. The club shared photos of them in a local hospital being treated for cuts from the glass shards.

Riot police were forced to fire off tear gas to subdue the fans who were fighting inside and outside the stadium.

Liga SalvaVida, the Honduran league both clubs compete in, apologized for the incident.

"La Liga SalvaVida condemns the deplorable acts of violence that took place tonight between fans of Club Deportiva Olimpia and Futbol Club Motagua on the outskirts of the national stadium of Tegucigalpa and in which, according to information from the capital's medical centers, there have been victims and those seriously injured," the league said in a statement translated from Spanish.

Motague is refusing to play a makeup game against Olimpia and wants the team sanctioned by the league, ESPN reported.

"La Liga SalvaVida strongly expresses its repudiation of violence inside and outside the stadium, because football must be and will be the passion that unites the Honduran family. To the families of the victims, our sincere condolences and solidarity in these moments," the league added.