One’s dead and three remain in critical condition after a fight between fans of the Atlético-Paranaense and Vasco soccer teams during a match at Arena Joinville in Santa Catarina, Brazil, turned into one of the more extreme and disturbing sports-related brawls to ever be caught on YouTube.
The altercation opened with about 40 individuals around midfield at the 17th minute of the match and quickly escalated towards one of the goal lines, where hundreds of other fans got involved in the fighting. A few minutes later, privately contracted security had shown up to shoot tear gas into the crowds in an effort to quell the disruption. At one point, a military helicopter arrived to try to instill some peace.
Four individuals were taken for medical attention at nearby St. Joseph’s Hospital in Joinville—all ranging between the ages of 19 and 29. One of the aforementioned went into the hospital with a brain concussion and later slipped into a coma before being pronounced dead.
The scene is another in a long line of disturbing transgressions and protests in the South American country, which has seen massive protests and riots break out in advance of its hosting soccer’s World Cup in June.
Reports indicate that the game continued after the fight, with Atletico-Paranaense winning 1-0.
