Police were forced to use tear gas and smoke grenades to break up clashes between fans seeking tickets for the official re-opening of Brazil`s Fonte Nova arena to be used at the 2014 World Cup.
|Last Updated: Mar 30, 2013, 03:16 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Salvador: Police were forced to use tear gas and smoke grenades to break up clashes between fans seeking tickets for the official re-opening of Brazil`s Fonte Nova arena to be used at the 2014 World Cup.
Violence erupted among fans on Friday, some of whom had queued up since Thursday night, when ticket booths opened before midday.
Redevelopment work on the 56,500-capacity stadium in Brazil`s northeastern state of Bahia cost $330 million, more than $50 million over the original budget.
Witnesses blamed the incident on the absence of barriers allowing fans to form orderly queues in front of ticket windows.
Police said some fans suffered light injuries during the clashes but no arrests were made.
Bahia government spokesman Jacques Wagner said an immediate investigation would be launched into the incident.
"We are going to come down with the full force of the law. What happened is unacceptable," Wagner said.
He said extra police would be summoned to reinforce security for next Friday`s inauguration match between local rivals Bahia and Vitoria.
Fonte Nova will host three fixtures during June`s FIFA Confederations Cup and six World Cup matches.
Meanwhile, a building worker was killed on Thursday night in an accident at another World Cup venue in the Amazonian city of Manaus.
Local media reported Raimundo Nonato Lima Costa, 49, died from severe head injuries after falling from a height of about 5m at the Arena da Amazonia.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.