During the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana’s round of 16 match between Independiente and Universidad de Chile, chaos erupted in the stadium, leading to serious injuries among fans. The game had to be stopped in the second half due to escalating violence, with some fans reportedly hospitalized with critical injuries.

A distressing scene unfolded when a fan fell from the top deck of the away section. Reports state that there were no fatalities, but many were left bloodied. A lack of police presence was cited as a contributing factor to the violence, as CONMEBOL had restricted police from the away section to avoid “disturbances.”

Independiente’s press representatives confirmed that injuries were classified as ’light’ shortly after the match’s violence flared up. The match was officially cancelled and will not be replayed, with outcomes pending from CONMEBOL’s disciplinary committee.

Further complicating the situation, over 300 Universidad de Chile fans were arrested post-match as the scenario spiraled further into chaos, involving threats and interactions between fans and police.

As reported by TyC Sports, the uprising began when fans of U.de Chile threw objects at home supporters, leading to retaliation and subsequent attacks. Video footage captured by witnesses shows home fans launching assaults on the away supporters amidst the wreckage of thrown seats and debris in an atmosphere thick with chaos.

The intensity of the violence included multiple fires set in the stands and the destruction of the Universidad team bus, dramatically impacting fans’ safety. Details are still emerging about the total number of injuries from this tense evening in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.