One Killed, 47 Injured at Lima Stadium Rally

One person was killed and at least 47 others injured Friday night during a pre-match rally at Alejandro Villanueva Stadium in Lima, Peru, as fans gathered for a flag-waving event ahead of Alianza Lima's derby against Universitario de Deportes.

The incident occurred at the stadium, known locally as Matute and located in the La Victoria district, just one day before the high-stakes Liga 1 matchup scheduled for Saturday evening. Health Minister Juan Carlos Velasco confirmed the casualties in statements to media outlets, saying, "There has been an unfortunate incident at the stadium in which 47 people have been injured, and sadly there is one fatality." He added that 39 victims had been transported to hospitals across the Lima region, with three in critical condition. Preliminary reports from the Ministry of Health indicated up to 60 people injured, prompting an alert for area hospitals to prepare for additional cases. Emergency services, including eight units from the Mobile Emergency Medical Service and the General Volunteer Fire Department, responded to provide on-site triage and treatment, with three patients transferred to the National Hospital Arzobispo Loayza.