Thirteen individuals sustained injuries when a car careened into a crowd of fans outside the Espanyol versus Barcelona match held on Thursday. The derby match, which saw Barcelona clinch the La Liga title with a 2-0 victory, faced a minor delay as police briefed the referee on the incident, which unfolded in the early minutes of the game.
Authorities in Barcelona confirmed that four of the injured were transported to a local hospital; fortunately, all are expected to recover without severe complications. They assured the public via social media that the incident posed no risk to the spectators inside the stadium during the match.
The driver of the vehicle has been arrested on charges of dangerous driving and causing injuries. Eyewitness videos circulating on social media depicted the car, having halted near some bins, suddenly accelerating into the crowd gathered outside the stadium to greet the Espanyol team's arrival.
Local officials reported that ten ambulances were dispatched to the scene to assist the injured, with the most severe reported case being a broken leg. Despite the frightening episode, Salvador Illa, president of the Government of Catalonia and present at the match, downplayed the severity of the situation, stating that the injuries, while regrettable, were not life-threatening. “It was an accident; some people were injured, but not seriously. There are no major incidents to report," he remarked during an interview with Spanish TV channel Movistar Plus.
