Northern Ireland defender Gareth McAuley vies with Poland midfielder Bartosz Kapustka during the Euro 2016 group C football match at the Stade de Nice in Nice. Photo: AFP
Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/1974453/northern-ireland-soccer-fan-falls-his-death-euro-2016-tragedy Football
Northern Ireland soccer fan falls to his death in Euro 2016 tragedy
Fan dies in the French city of Nice after scaling a sea-front railing and falling on his head onto a stone beach
A Northern Ireland supporter holds a flag at the Euro 2016 Fanzone in Nice, southeastern France. Photo: AFP
A Northern Ireland fan died in the French city of Nice after scaling a sea-front railing and falling on his head onto a stone beach, a local official said on Monday.
He was the first supporter to die during Euro 2016 which has been marred by off-pitch violence between fans since Friday’s opening.
Nice’s public prosecutor, Jean-Michel Pretre, said he had opened an investigation and it was not yet known what led to the 24-year-old’s death, which involved a fall of around 25 feet.
“We’re keeping all options open and have no favoured theory for now,” Pretre said.
The incident took place at one end of Nice’s beachfront Promenade des Anglais, which spans a wide bay. A police spokesman said that no trouble had been reported in the area.
Making their first appearance at a major finals for 30 years, Northern Ireland lost their opening match on Sunday 1-0 against Poland.