At least 1,000 people were injured, seven seriously, after a bomb scare triggered a stampede among Juventus fans assembled to watch the Champions League final in Turin, police said Sunday, June 4, 2017.
The incident occurred in one of Turin’s main squares were injured when loud bangs created a panic and mayhem.
About 400 people were being treated for slight injuries, Italian media reported. About five people were seriously hurt, including a seven-year-old boy who was trampled, Sky TG24 reported.
Thousands of fans had gathered to watch the Champions League final in front of a giant screen in San Carlo Square.
During the second half of the match, which local club Juventus went on to lose 1-4 to Real Madrid, video cameras show a sudden rush in the middle of the crowd that caused a surge that flung people against barriers.
Many fans then began to run out of the center of the square, screaming in fear.
The panic may been started by the explosion of a loud firecracker that was mistaken for a bomb, a Reuters witness said.
Afterwards shoes and bags littered the ground, people were seen limping and searching desperately for friends and relatives, the witness said.
Police have set up an information point to help people find their loved ones, and they are investigating what caused the panic.
This tragedy mirrors the sad incident in Calabar, Cross River State of Nigeria when over 30 persons watching the Europa League football match between Manchester United and Anderlecht perished in the evening of Thursday, April 20, 2017 as an electric cable fell from a power line.
According to news reports, and photos from the scene of the incident, many of the victims were electrocuted.
Additional reports by News Agency of Nigeria.
