Football News Flash - FC Twente roof collapse...

[LBNo11]

Dutch hurt in FC Twente stadium roof fall in Enschede
FC Twente is expanding the stadium this summer before next season Part of a stadium roof has collapsed in the eastern Dutch city of Enschede, trapping an unknown number of people in the rubble.

The collapse happened during building work at the FC Twente football stadium.

"Part of the roof has collapsed. There are people under the rubble. We don't know how many," a police spokesman told Reuters news agency.

Dutch media say two girders came down. Firefighters and ambulances have rushed to the scene.

A local paper, De Twentsche Courant, reported on its website that at least five people were injured.

No match was being played at the time. The stadium - called Grolsch Veste - is being expanded to accommodate 32,000 fans ahead of the autumn season.

FC Twente is one of the top teams in the Netherlands. In 2010 it won the League One title.

[Mr_Moon]

[LBNo11]

Police in Enschede have confirmed that part of a stand has collapsed at FC Twente's De Grolsch Veste stadium and that officers are working to free people trapped underneath.

The roof is reported to have collapsed after two support beams buckled, although the reason why this happened is not yet known.

Emergency services have arrived to deal with the casualties, with at least five people reportedly injured – and the stadium has been evacuated.

"We do not have many details at the moment, the only thing we can say is that we have quite a big situation. Part of the tribune has collapsed, so we have some people beneath it and we have got some people [police officers] there at the moment.

"We can't say any more about what is going on because we have had no contact from our people from our station who are there at the moment."

The spokesman could not comment on whether anyone was killed or injured. The roof's partial collapse probably was related to construction work at the stadium, he added.

The work was being carried out as part of the club's development of their stadium to a 32,000-seat arena. The capacity was just 13,500 when the Enschede side moved to the venue in 1998.

The stadium is situated on the outskirts of Enschede in the east of the Netherlands, close to the German border.

FC Twente, who finished second in the Eredivisie last season and won the Dutch Cup, were until 2010 managed by the former England manager, Steve McClaren.

The club's chairman Joop Munsterman is thought to have left the team's pre-season training camp in Zeeland and is returning to Enschede, while the coach, Co Adriaanse, has cancelled all press activity until further notice.

[sipwell]

One dead, 14 injured.

[RidgeRider]

Yikes. What a shame. I hate hearing about things like this.

[Mr_Moon]

LBno11, that really creeped me out for a second. I was wondering how on earth my picture had morfed into a new one until I saw you edited it 

[LBNo11]

Latest photograph from inside the stadium...

[RidgeRider]

I'm not trying to be funny, actually quite serious, but if you are a supporter of this club how likely are you to renew your season tickets if you have seats under and overhang similar to the one that collapsed. I would have second thoughts.

[LBNo11]

...it would depend on the circumstances RR, if, as has been reported on the local Dutch media a crane had collided with the structure then a collapse could not have been down to poor structural integrity.

Latest photograph:-

[sipwell]

Also, they were adding another terrace to that part.