On Friday, April 3, in Lima, the capital of Peru, an accident occurred during a pre-match gathering for a soccer game, resulting in at least one death and dozens of injuries.
According to Reuters, Alianza Lima, a professional soccer club in Peru, stated that on April 3, the day before their home game against Universitario, an accident took place at a gathering in Estadio Alejandro Villanueva, causing at least one fatality and injuring 47 others.
Alianza Lima expressed their condolences and support for the victims and wounded. At the same time, the match scheduled for Saturday will proceed as planned.
Local media reported that the incident took place during a flag-waving event called “Matute” inside the stadium, where fans were cheering for the team.
Both Alianza Lima and fire department officials confirmed that the stadium’s structure was in good condition.
Initially, there were reports of walls and structures collapsing, but this was later refuted. Fire official Marco Pajuelo told the media, “According to the assessment, there were no collapsed walls, and no one fell into any holes.”
Peru’s Ministry of Interior posted on social media platform X that 40 firefighters had been dispatched to the scene to address the emergency involving “individuals trapped within the structure.”
In a statement, Alianza Lima mentioned, “We are fully and transparently cooperating with the investigation by relevant authorities,” as the cause of the accident remains unclear.
The club further added in their statement, “We will continue to work closely with other clubs and government agencies to enhance the safety environment both inside and outside the stadium.”