A football match between Hungary and Kazakhstan at the Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary, narrowly avoided disaster after an overhead camera caught fire and fell onto the pitch. The spidercam, which can travel across the field, plunged more than 20 metres, almost striking a cameraman who was standing on the touchline, oblivious to the danger overhead.
Incident Details
The spidercam had caught alight moments earlier and was billowing smoke. Fans noticed the issue and several captured the incident on camera, but match officials remained unaware, and play continued. Fortunately, the camera avoided hitting anyone as it dropped, but the match was halted as debris was cleared. The match was able to continue, with Hungary winning 3-1.
Reactions
The terrifying incident left fans stunned. X user Tyler Walsh said: 'Bro was still locked in though, I gotta respect it.' Another user, Michal Pol, wrote: 'Truman Show vibes. Good thing the guy was standing a few steps away.' User @jackunheard added: 'Bro just used up every single bit of his luck.' Commenting on the near miss, @GregisKitty said: 'Dude that could’ve killed the camera man.'
Context
This latest football scare comes just days after Denmark star Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch for the second time in his career. Eriksen, who had a type of pacemaker fitted after his first collapse five years ago, was saved by a defibrillator. Teammates, support staff, Ukrainian players, and officials all raced onto the field at the sight of the 34-year-old lying on the ground. Eriksen was subsequently taken to hospital in Odense, Ukraine, where he recovered.
