Part of a roof collapsed at the FC Twente football stadium in the eastern Netherlands on Thursday. Photograph: Str/AFP/Getty Images
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.
FC Twente posted a statement on their official website which read: "During the renovation work at the Grolsch Veste the roof of the building collapsed. Our thoughts are with everyone involved."
by James Callow taken from http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jul/07/fc-twente-stadium
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.
FC Twente posted a statement on their official website which read: "During the renovation work at the Grolsch Veste the roof of the building collapsed. Our thoughts are with everyone involved."
by James Callow taken from http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jul/07/fc-twente-stadium
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