At least one person died and 47 more were injured Friday night in an unspecified “incident” at Alejandro Villanueva Stadium in Peru’s capital during a rally ahead of a football derby, according to the health ministry.
“There has been an unfortunate incident at the stadium in which 47 people have been injured…and sadly there is one fatality,” Health Minister Juan Carlos Velasco told media, without specifying the cause of the incident.
The incident was initially attributed to the collapse of a part of a stadium wall, but the Alianza Lima football team has denied that any part of the venue had fallen.
Fire Chief Marcos Pajuelo told reporters that “the structure of the southern stands appeared to be in good condition. There are no collapsed walls or sections fallen into the pit.”
The Alianza Peru match against Club Universitario de Deportes is currently set to proceed as planned on Saturday night, the Peruvian football league said in a statemen
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Alianza Lima is one of the most successful clubs in Peru, with 25 top flight titles, while its women’s side is the defending premier division champion. The women’s side is also a name well-known to Indian football fans, as India forward Manisha Kalyan plays for the team.
The development triggered an emergency response across the city, with hospitals placed on high alert to handle the injured. The incident occurred at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva, popularly known as Matute, located in the Matute neighborhood of the La Victoria district in Lima. The venue serves as the home ground of Alianza Lima.
Authorities have not yet clarified what led to the incident, even as investigations are expected to determine the exact cause behind the tragedy that marred what was meant to be a pre-derby gathering.
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