Lima, April 4: At least one person died and 60 others were injured in what seemed to be a crush of fans at a popular soccer team’s stadium in the Peruvian capital, authorities reported.
Police said officers on Friday night rescued people trapped as a result of the influx of Alianza Lima fans in the south stands of the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium the night before their team’s scheduled game against their biggest rival, Universitario.
Earlier, the Ministry of Health had reported the collapse of a wall inside the stadium. Both the police and Alianza Lima denied this in separate statements.
Fire brigadier Marcos Pajuelo said there was at least one fatality and dozens of injured people who were taken to hospitals in the capital. He said they don’t know the cause.
Videos broadcast by local television stations showed a large crowd of fans in the south stands amidst an explosion of fireworks.
Other videos showed apparently injured people sitting in the stands inside the stadium.
The Ministry of Health said 60 people had been reported injured so far.
As investigations continue into the tragic incident, the focus now shifts to accountability and ensuring such lapses do not recur in the future. The chaos that unfolded outside and within the stadium has once again raised serious concerns over crowd management, emergency preparedness and fan safety at high-profile fixtures. (AP)
