A day after the accident on the escalator in Rome, new details of the incident continue to appear. One of the eyewitnesses, a fan of the Russian club Yegor, spoke about the first minutes after the tragedy. According to him, despite the gravity of the situation, there was no panic at the station.
“We saw a crush. The fans themselves helped each other, pressed the fire alarm. Another train arrived that everyone missed. Then the train was canceled, so as not to organize a crush at the station. Those who did not suffer, went upstairs. There was already a fire service, the police arrived, ”he said in an interview with RT.
On October 23, an escalator crashed at one of the stations of the Roman metro. According to eyewitnesses, people on the stairs could not keep their feet, as a result a crush appeared at the station. Several dozen Russians suffered injuries of varying severity, 16 of them were hospitalized. Half of them have already been discharged.
An incident is under investigation. The Embassy of the Russian Federation in Rome confirmed the information that the police are considering two versions of the incident: technical malfunction and external influence.
“Now all efforts are focused on the health of our citizens. From the responses of the local media, we know that there are several versions that should explain the cause of what happened, ”said Dmitry Gurin, Counselor of the Russian Embassy in Italy.
Earlier, the head of the Interior Ministry Matteo Salvini made accusations against the Russians. According to him, the fans jumped on the steps, which led to the incident. In turn, the head of the local police Guido Marino also criticized the guests of Rome for not following the rules of conduct.
“Football fans ignored all the recommendations given by the Italian police and the Russian consulate. They did not gather at the place where they had been held before and where they could safely get to the Olympic Stadium, ”ANSA quotes Marino.
However, the official association of fans of CSKA denies the guilt of the Russians in what happened. His representatives called on all victims and witnesses of the incident to sign a class action lawsuit.
In defense of compatriots made several eyewitnesses of the incident. One of the fans of the red-blue Sofia accused the employees of the metro, who did not control the condition of the escalator, of the incident.
“At this station, during the year, the escalator has already broken down twice. There was no crush. Everybody went down in an organized way, they didn’t even run. At one point, he drove at breakneck speed. At first, everyone took it normally, but then people began to fall into a heap, and then it became clear that everything was bad, ”admitted the girl.
According to her, a large number of victims due to the slow work of rescue services.
“At first the entrance to the escalator was surrounded by the military with machine guns. People from below rose, shouting that they urgently need help and that there is blood. Metro employees said they knew, but nothing happened. For a few minutes, the people that the fans themselves pulled out just lay without help from the escalators, ”added Sofia.
CSKA fan Egor also cited as a cause of the incident a technical malfunction, which "was aggravated by a large number of people."
CSKA did not stay away from the incident. His leadership expressed readiness to provide all possible assistance to the victims. In addition, the club urged not to make hasty conclusions.
“In the Roman subway were our loyal fans and compatriots, and the main thing now is their health and return to their homeland. And why the metro escalator in the center of one of the world's capitals, where hundreds of thousands of Romans and tourists move daily, has failed, which threatened the lives and health of people, law enforcement agencies need to find out, ”the statement said on the team’s official website.
The Association of European Football Fans (FSE) also spoke in support of the victims, urging the authorities in Rome to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident.
“We urge all interested parties to refrain from sharing hasty conclusions. We also express our deepest solidarity with the victims and wish them a speedy recovery. Fans, regardless of their nationality, deserve decent treatment on the part of state bodies, ”the statement said.
The most serious injuries were Russian Dmitry Tyurin. For some time he was in danger of amputation of the foot, but the doctors managed to save his leg, which was confirmed by his girlfriend Anna Filina. According to her, all the victims are assisted by the Russian consulate.
Rome Mayor Virginia Raji assured that all the details of the incident will be carefully studied. Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked the Italian side for support.
“I would like, on my part, to convey through you words of gratitude to the mayor of Rome and the medical staff who provided assistance to Russian football fans. Thank you very much, ”said the head of state at a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.