Dozens of Russian soccer fans who had traveled all the way to Rome to watch their team compete against the Roma team were injured when an escalator malfunctioned in the Italian capital.
You can watch the accident here:
Посольство России в Италии сообщило о 30 пострадавших россиянах в результате обрушения эскалатора на станции Repubblica в Риме
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Видео: RBWorldorg / Twitter
News reports say that about 80 rowdy fans were jumping up and down on the escalator at the Repubblica metro station, chanting in support of the CSKA Moscow soccer team. The fans’ combined weight made the escalator collapse, sending the belt spinning out of control and yanking riders downwards at a dizzying speed. It’s not clear yet how many people were hurt in the terrifying accident. Russian social media users said there were as many as thirty injuries, although Italian media said the number was more like ten. Five people were said to be in critical condition, including one man whose foot was partially amputated in the crash.
The UK’s Express reports that “many people” were trapped between the escalator’s steps as its mechanism sped out of control. Emergency workers rushed to the scene and are now working to free the people trapped in the broken escalator. The Repubblica metro station has been shut down as rescue crews work to save people caught in the wreckage of the machine.
You can see a picture of the broken escalator, here:
Video shot outside the Repubblica Metro Station just after the crash showed emergency workers helping injured people onto stretchers, and ambulances, with sirens blazing, rushing people to the hospital.
The match between Moscow’s CSKA and Roma kicked off at 8PM, local time, in Rome’s Olympic Stadium. Ahead of the game, experts were predicting that Roma would win, especially given that they are playing in their own stadium and will have the home team advantage.