After an incident recorded in the stands of Monumental during the last Superclassic between River and Boca, the Football Safety Committee decided to ban the use of paper in Buenos Aires stadiums. The decision, of a preventive nature and with immediate application, was officially communicated to the clubs and covers all sectors intended for the public on the courts, both popular stands and stalls
.
According to the statement, teams must “arbitrate the necessary means for effective compliance.” In addition, the Committee clarified that there will be no exceptions in the short term: “Authorizations will not be granted, henceforth, for festive actions that contemplate the use of the mentioned elements
”.
The trigger for the measure was what happened in the preview of the classic played at the Most Monumental Stadium, where an igneous focus was generated in one of the stands, between the Sívori Alta and the Centenario Alta. According to different reports, it emerged from the combustion of paper, and forced the fans to retreat, requiring the rapid intervention of firefighters to prevent the flames from spreading in a crowded
stadium.
In the report sent to the institutions, the authorities pointed out that, despite having adequate protocols and resources, the episode “provides concrete evidence of the potential risk of ignition that such materials pose in contexts of high public concentration
”.
The measure was agreed upon at a meeting between security agencies and will be applied exclusively in the area of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, with the objective of reducing risks in mass events.
