NEW DELHI, February 2 – Hundreds of fans queuing up for cricket World Cup tickets pushed down a section of wall at the Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday, injuring one person, a venue official told AFP.
Crowds were trying to get tickets to the India-West Indies game on March 20 when the wall gave way.
"The wall is at the periphery of the stadium and a small portion of it collapsed when fans pressed against it," Tamil Nadu Cricket Association secretary K.S. Viswanathan said.
"One person sustained injury and he has been attended to. It was a minor incident."
The boundary wall had recently been plastered and painted as part of the renovations for the tournament, which begins on February 19.
Last week, officials faced embarrassment after Kolkata’s Eden Gardens was found to be unfit to host the India-England game on February 27. The match will now be hosted in Bangalore.
The decision was a blow for India’s image and the estimated 64,000 spectators who were expected to pack the legendary stadium for one of the biggest games in the early stages of the event.
The ruling echoed the run-up to New Delhi’s 2010 Commonwealth Games, which were hit by delays, shoddy workmanship and alleged corruption.
