20 Injured After Escalator Malfunctions In Rome
(CBSDFW.COM/CNN) -- Twenty people were injured after an escalator malfunctioned and rapidly sped downward at a Rome metro station, leaving passengers in a jumble at the bottom, Italian officials say.
Most of those involved in Tuesday night's horrifying accident at Repubblica metro station were Russian football fans on their way to attend a Champions League match between Roma and CSKA Moscow, a spokesman with Italy's Fire Brigade said.
Fire brigade spokesman Luca Cari said that the cause of the accident is still being investigated. Police in Rome say one tourist suffered a severe foot injury.
A video from Twitter shows people barreling down the escalator at a rapid pace and piling up at the bottom.
On Twitter, Rome's fire brigade said those injured have been taken to a hospital.
It also posted a picture of the escalator steps, which have been mangled due to the apparent malfunction.
Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi posted a Facebook live video from the scene and said that she expresses her "solidarity to the injured" and that authorities need to understand what's happened.
She said that it appeared that "some Russian supporters were dancing and jumping on the escalator."
(The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company contributed to this report. All rights reserved.)