The Peruvian Ministry of Health on Friday night reported that 60 people were injured in a structural collapse at a soccer stadium.
Newsweek reached out to Club Alianza Lima via email on Friday night for comment.
Alejandro Villanueva Stadium, in the La Victoria district of Lima, Peru’s capital city, is home to Alianza Lima, a team that competes in the country’s top soccer league.
However, the collapse did not occur during a game. One night before a key matchup against Universitario, fans of Alianza Lima were in the stadium attending a “flag raising ceremony” when a wall collapsed, according to local reports. Graphic video posted on social media showed fans in disarray as they tried to get help to victims in the stands.
Local reports also said that one person has died as a result of the collapse, although the Ministry of Health has not confirmed any deaths.
In a statement posted to X, the ministry wrote that hospitals in the area should be on high alert to treat anyone who suffered injuries at the stadium, and local reports say that the hospitals within the immediate vicinity of the stadium are already overcrowded with victims.
The ministry did not specify what collapsed, but said that eight units were mobilized through the Mobile Emergency Medical Service (SAMU) to provide triage in coordination with the General Volunteer Fire Department of Peru.
“According to the preliminary report, 60 people have been recorded as injured, who are currently being evaluated and treated,” the ministry wrote, according to a translation of the X post. “Three of them have been transferred to the National Hospital Arzobispo Loayza.”
“The Health Emergency Operations Center (COES Salud) continues with permanent monitoring of the event and coordination of the health response,” the ministry added.
Alejandro Villanueva Stadium was built in 1974 and has a capacity of 33,000. It is named after former player Alejandro Villanueva, who played for the national Peruvian soccer team at the inaugural 1930 World Cup, in which the team played and lost two matches, including one against the eventual winner, Uruguay.
Alianza Lima was founded in 1901 and is one of the most successful teams in the country with 25 top-flight league titles—second only to Universitario, which has 29.
The Peruvian Liga 1 season started in January, with eight matches played as of this week. Alianza Lima sits tied at the top of the league with Los Chankas from Andahuaylas, and just one point ahead of Club Cienciano from Cusco.
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