Close to 400 Juventus fans hurt after crowd stampede in Turin

Up to 400 Juventus fans are reported to have been hurt after a stampede was triggered in a crowd in Turin watching the Champions League final.

Thousands of supporters had gathered to watch the match between Juve and Real Madrid on giant screens in the Piazza San Carlo in the city.

Video footage has emerged showing fans rushing forward and leaping over railings to escape an incident that occurred further back in the square.

Local reports have claimed that people were panicked when firecrackers were set off, prompting a surge in the crowd.

It has been claimed that many became frightened that the loud bangs could have been as a result of a terrorist attack in the square.

It has also been reported that a railing at the top of a stairwell leading to an underground car park gave way, causing people to run to safety.

“The root cause of this was panic. To understand what triggered it we will have to wait a while,” Renato Saccone, the prefect of Turin, was quoted as saying by AFP.

Emergency services were seen arriving to attend to the casualties, with hundreds said to have suffered injuries, five of which are reported to be serious.

Juve head coach Massimiliano Allegri said after the match: “I would just like to say that we feel for what happened to our fans in Turin. There was an incident there; we hope that not too many people were injured.”

Madrid won 4-1 to claim their second Champions League crown in a row.