Woman breaks leg after Chester-le-Street stand gave way during England T20 match
The North East Ambulance service responded to a 999 call from the ground and took one of the three injured fans to the RVI Hospital in Newcastle.
A woman was left with a broken leg after a section of the stand gave way during England’s Twenty20 International against the West Indies at Chester-le-Street.
Three spectators reported injuries when flooring in the North-East Terrace of the Emirates Riverside became unstable, leading to around 200 fans being evacuated to other areas of the ground.
The North East Ambulance Service responded to a 999 call and took the woman to Newcastle’s RVI Hospital, where she was admitted and kept overnight.
A spokesman for the hospital confirmed the individual was still being treated on Sunday morning for “non life-threatening injuries”, later confirmed as a broken leg. Durham, meanwhile, have begun the process of collecting witness statements from stewards and first responders as they investigate what went wrong.
They have stressed it was not an area of temporary seats, which are installed to increase capacity for international matches, and that it was in compliance with a recent safety check.
A club statement read: “During the course of the second innings between England v West Indies at Emirates Riverside, three spectators were injured when a small section of the North-East Terrace flooring became unstable causing them to fall.
“Stewards took precautionary action and evacuated that area of the stand efficiently. The stand is a permanent fixture at the venue and had passed inspections in the week prior to the match.”
Twitter user @ChristianCeriso was in the affected area and posted an image of two stewards standing guard either side of what appeared to be an opening directly beneath a seat.
Windies captain Carlos Brathwaite said after the match that some of his players felt conditions on the pitch were “unsafe” and was prepared to take an abandonment after wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton slipped while fielding, needing lengthy treatment.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has been contacted for a response.
Durham added an updated statement on Sunday evening, which read: “At this early stage, it appears that part of the flooring failed. Durham County Cricket Club is currently undertaking its own full and thorough investigation into this incident and will cooperate fully with any investigation by any third party.
“No further comment will be made by the club until those investigations are complete.”
