Argentina World Cup celebration ends in tragedy
The World Cup celebrations in Argentina ended on a sad note with riot police on the streets and at least 31 people injured and one dead.
On Tuesday, Argentina declared a national holiday to give the nation a chance to celebrate the World Cup win. Unfortunately, the celebrations turned into tragedy. As millions of fans gathered in the streets, some tried to jump on to the open-top bus, forcing the players to have to fly over in a helicopter instead. By night, things turned even more sour with riots on the streets, leaving one man dead and a young boy in a coma.
Injuries and arrests after Argentina’s World Cup parade
Security officials at Argentina’s World Cup celebrations said that at least 31 people were injured and 13 arrests had been made on Tuesday. Police sources told La Nación that there had been around 800 emergency medical calls and several missing persons calls throughout the whole day.
Around 8 p.m. Tuesday night, some fans broke into Buenos Aires’ famous Obelisk monument and scaled it to the top. Firefighters and security personnel arrived to stop the fans, but they barricaded themselves inside and started throwing bottle at the security officers, forcing security to take a more aggressive approach. At least four people were arrested inside the Obelisk. The Obelisk itself was damaged and covered in graffiti at the bottom.
Besides the incident at the Obelisk, there were also reports of car break-ins, damage to stoplights and lamp posts on the street, people scaling the rooftops of the Metrobus lines and causing damage to the building. There was also footage of fans breaking into a police car and climbing on its roof.
One man dead, one child seriously injured
The Buenos Aires Ministry go Health said that a 24-year-old man died in the Fernández Hospital in Buenos Aires on Monday due to a head injury he suffered during celebrations on Sunday. Police said the man was “jumping on a roof, celebrating the triumph of the National team, until it broke and fell”, which led to the fatal injury.
A five-year-old boy is in a coma after sustaining a head injury during the celebrations. The boy was with his parents when a piece of marble fell from a monument and hit the child. He is now in intensive care.