A fire broke out at a major football stadium, forcing the entire venue to be evacuated. Smoke engulfed the pitch and stands at Sweden’s national team stadium as AIK hosted Djurgardens at the 50,000-capacity Strawberry Arena in Stockholm. The away side were leading 2-1 following an action-packed opening to their Allsvenskan league fixture.
However, with just 25 minutes on the clock, the referee halted the match as players were instructed to leave the pitch due to the fire in the stands. The cause of the blaze remains unclear, though it is thought it may have been triggered by flares inside the ground. Television cameras captured the dramatic scenes as supporters cleared the area while the flames took hold.
Thick plumes of smoke billowing from the fire across the pitch were visible in striking footage and images circulating on social media.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and deployed hoses to bring the blaze under control. AIK’s head of security, Henrik Koch, confirmed the fire was extinguished without anyone sustaining injuries.
Koch said: “No injuries occurred and the fire was extinguished.” Djurgardens added a third in first-half injury time and it finished 4-2.
