Turin's Mayor Probed in Relation to Stampede During Champions League Broadcast

The mayor of the Italian city of Turin, Chiara Appendino, is suspected of a failure to ensure necessary security measures during the live broadcast of the Champions League final at the city's main square, where a stampede that left over 1,500 people injured occurred, local media reported on Thursday.

ROME (Sputnik) – According to ll Corriere della Sera newspaper, Appendino appeared on the list of alleged suspects after one of the injured submitted a written complaint, accusing her the mayor of violating security measures when organizing the mass event in Piazza San Carlo.

The complainant reportedly said that the mayor should have prohibited the sale of drinks in glass bottles during the broadcast, since the shards from broken bottles caused severe traumas. The mayor shold have also authorized a larger number of policemen to maintain public order, the complainant added.

The Turin city hall has not confirm that the mayor was under investigation.

On June 3, nearly 20,000 football fans gathered in Piazza San Carlo to watch the the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Turin's Juventus which the Italian team lost 4:1. According to witnesses, a loud clap after the third goal caused panic in the crowd gathered for the broadcast at Piazza San Carlo and resulted in a stampede. Other reports said that the panic was provoked by teenagers who shouted about a bomb after the bang. Over 1,500 people were injured in the stampede, and one person later died from their injuries.