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In a tragic turn of events, at least one individual lost their life and numerous others were injured on Friday during the lead-up to a soccer derby at Alejandro Villanueva Stadium in Lima, Peru. The incident occurred just a day before the anticipated match between Alianza Lima and Universitario, according to a statement by Alianza Lima.
The club expressed its condolences and extended solidarity to the victims, with reports indicating that around 60 people were injured during the event, known locally as a “flag-waving event,” at the stadium, which is commonly referred to as Matute.
Alianza Lima pledged to cooperate fully with authorities to shed light on the incident, emphasizing their commitment to “total transparency” in unraveling the cause, which remains unclear at this time.
Both Alianza Lima and a fire department official ruled out any structural issues with the stadium. Fire official Marco Pajuelo informed news outlet Canal N that preliminary assessments showed no structural damage and confirmed that no one had fallen into a pit. “There hasn’t been any debris,” he stated.
“Based on what has been assessed, no structure has been affected,” fire official Marco Pajuelo told news channel Canal N, saying an initial inspection showed no one had fallen into a pit. “There hasn’t been any debris.”
Saturday’s match would proceed as planned, the Peruvian Professional Soccer League said.
“We will continue to work closely with the clubs and authorities to promote safe environments both inside and outside the stadiums,” it added in a statement.