Bloodbath in Mexico

MEXICO CITY. — More than 20 people have been injured and many are feared dead after a football match in Mexico descended into chaos as a bloody fan riot erupted on Saturday.

Queretaro v Atlas FC, held in the city of Querétaro, was called off just after the restart in the second half, with the visitors leading 1-0.

Both sets of fans, who share a heated rivalry, clashed in the stands before the violence spilled out onto the pitch, as missiles including chairs and metal trash cans went flying.

It was initially feared that multiple fans may have been killed, and local reports claimed as many as 17 were dead.

But authorities later clarified that 22 people had been injured, with two reportedly in a critical condition, though there are still fears that fatalities may be confirmed in the coming hours.

“The rest are stable. It should be mentioned that all of those injured are male and at this moment it’s been confirmed that four were from the state of Jalisco,” officials from the Coordination of Civil Protection of the State of Querétaro said. Some reports claim that fans were swinging metal bars at one another, and players were forced to flee to the dressing rooms quickly and lock themselves in. Security guards then opened the gates to the field where families and young children could be seen running to safety.

Graphic photos and videos have been circulating on social media over the past few hours, with some showing fans looking motionless on the ground, in some cases topless and covered with blood. — The Daily Star