A fire broke out outside Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, forcing the cancellation of a scheduled pre-match event featuring the club’s new signings, including Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush.
The fire started shortly before 6:00 PM GMT in an area where club merchandise was being sold, causing flames and smoke. As a precaution, a nearby area was evacuated and emergency services responded to contain the blaze.
Due to what happened, the event was canceled and people were directed away from the area. At the time of the fire, the event had already begun with women's team players Rebecca Knaak and Aemu Oyama on stage.
A later segment was set to feature City’s latest acquisitions, including Marmoush, Victor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov in on-stage interviews. However, the situation escalated leading to the cancellation of the show.
At 6:22 PM, an announcement confirmed that the stadium was open for spectators though three entrance gates remained closed. The incident occurred close to the entrance where players were due to arrive for City’s final UEFA Champions League league phase match against the Belgian side, Club Brugge.
Despite the disruption, the match proceeded as scheduled.
The Premier League champions secured a 3-1 victory and qualified to the knockout phase play-offs, ensuring that the evening ended on a good result for the home supporters.
Comments