TRAGIC

Bomb Scare Triggers Stampede of Italian Soccer Fans, 1,400 Injured

After the sound of fireworks was mistaken for an explosion.

A false bomb scare triggered a stampede among soccer fans watching the Champions League final in Turin’s San Carlo Square on Saturday night, leaving about 1,400 fans injured. Authorities said at least seven people were in critical condition Sunday, including a 7-year-old boy. Chaos erupted just 10 minutes before the end of the game, when the sound of fireworks was mistaken for a bomb exploding and fans frantically raced out of the area, sending others flying into barriers or getting trampled by the panicked crowd. “We heard a noise, then there was a movement of people like a wave and everyone started falling over each other,” one fan, identified only as Luca, told Agence France-Presse. “I have got blood on me from the people who fell on top of me, people were screaming, jumping over each other. It was really awful—we really thought it was Manchester again,” he said. Most of the wounded fans suffered cuts and bruises, though the 7-year-old victim suffered severe head and torso injuries after getting trampled in the mayhem. He was described as in serious but stable condition on Sunday.