Three people were killed following an explosion at the national stadium as France took on Germany. According to Goal's reporters in the French capital the spectators and television viewers heard a first and then a second explosion close to Stade de France. It sounded like it might be the start of a fireworks display but was revealed to be something far graver. Asked by Infosport+, the president of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Graet, presented the facts he was aware of them: “A bomb exploded at the entrance of Gate J. There are three dead and several injured.”This attack in front of Stade de France is only one of numerous dramatic episodes that have rocked Paris this Friday evening. At least three other shooters have been in the vicinity of the 10th and11th arrondissements of the capital, and hostages have been taken at the Bataclan Theatre.
A rush occurred at Stade de France at the final whistle as the spectators were leaving the stadium. Our correspondent, Loic Tanzi, was present during this panic, forcing the security personnel to let dozens of new fans into the stadium. Several hundred of them took refuge on the pitch. An uneasy calm soon returned, and the PA was able to announce, at around 23:15, that the area around stadium was secure and that people could again leave through a single exit. Le Graet confirms three dead, more injured at Stade de France. No press conference was to be given at Stade de France due to the serious nature of the incidents in Paris, which come 10 months after the city was rocked by the attacks centred on the office of the Charlie Hebdo magazine. The initial information given by police is that there are at least 39 dead around the city. There are many police operations still running their course as authorities try to gain a handle on the situation. The president of the Republic, the prime minister and the minister of the interior are meeting at Place Beauvau to discuss the tragedy. The mayor of Paris and the chief of police have asked locals to stay at home and await instructions from authorities. On social media, there has been an outpouring of solidarity from citizens, with the hashtag#PorteOuverte (open door) offering people on the streets of Paris somewhere to take refuge.
One France supporter, speaking to Loic Tanzi at Stade de France, recounted the moment of the explosion: “I was at Gate X and heard two huge explosions. At the time we thought it was a bomb and around the ground there was a sort of outcry. Then I received many text messages and it was then I understood. The atmosphere became cold around us.”Goal's Loic Tanzi describes the scene at Stade de France.
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