Tragedy struck on Friday at the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium in Lima, Peru, where a fatal incident occurred prior to a major soccer match. Alianza Lima, the club set to compete against Universitario, confirmed the sad news of at least one death and numerous injuries.

Reports indicate that around 60 individuals were injured during a “flag-waving event” held at the stadium, which is commonly referred to as Matute. In response, Alianza Lima expressed their heartfelt condolences to those affected and pledged their support to the victims and their families.

In a statement, the club emphasized its commitment to fully cooperate with authorities in investigating the incident. They promised complete transparency as efforts are made to uncover the causes behind this unfortunate event.

While speculations might arise about the structural integrity of the stadium, both Alianza Lima and fire officials have dismissed any concerns about structural failure. Marco Pajuelo, a fire official, assured the public that preliminary inspections revealed no damage to the stadium’s structure and confirmed that no one had fallen into a pit or been harmed by debris.

Despite the incident, the Peruvian Professional Soccer League announced that Saturday’s derby match between Alianza Lima and Universitario would proceed as scheduled, with the hope of moving forward respectfully in the wake of tragedy.

Saturday’s match would proceed as planned, the Peruvian Professional Soccer League said.

“We will continue to work closely with the clubs and authorities to promote safe environments both inside and outside the stadiums,” it added in a statement.