Celebrating Philadelphia Eagles fans have reportedly suffered “multiple injuries” after collapsing through a glass bus stop in the city after their side reached the Super Bowl.
The Eagles thumped the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC Championship game and will face the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL season showpiece in a fortnight’s time, prompting scenes of wild celebration across the famously sports-mad city of Philadelphia.
However, those scenes of joy turned sour, with PhillyCrimeUpdate.com reporting that there were multiple injuries stemming from the bus stop incident, which took place at a SEPTA bus stop on South Broad Street near City Hall.
The footage shows a number of Eagles fans standing atop the glass structure, which shatters, dropping everyone to the street below. The video does not show the aftermath of the incident.
Earlier, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney had urged citizens of the city to celebrate the NFL success “joyously, safely, and respectfully”.
“As a lifelong Philadelphian and the Mayor of this great city I am thrilled to see fans of all ages and from every neighbourhood celebrating side by side, full of pride and excitement,” said Kenney in a statement. “This is a wonderful night and I ask Philadelphians to celebrate joyously, safely, and respectfully.”
However, later on Sunday evening, police in riot gear were seen dispersing fans in the streets as celebrations got out of hand. The crowd was largely peaceful, according to reports, but some supporters continued to put themselves and others at risk by trying to climb atop parked cars and various city structures.
The scenes were reminiscent of those in 2018, when the Eagles stunned the New England Patriots with a late Nick Foles touchdown to Zach Ertz that saw them win the Super Bowl for the first time in their history.
On that day, several Eagles fans began celebrating atop an awning at the Ritz Carlton until the unit collapsed under the group’s weight.
Once again, police greased light poles to deter fans from climbing above the gathering crowds but supporters still managed to hoist themselves up on street signs and traffic lights.
