A tragic incident unfolded in Peru ahead of the highly anticipated Lima derby, as a rally at the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium in Lima turned deadly, leaving one person dead and at least 47 others injured. The incident occurred just a day before the clash between Alianza Lima and Universitario, casting a shadow over the Peruvian Liga 1 fixture.
The incident took place on Friday night, just a day before the Lima derby was scheduled to be held. Addressing the situation, the Health Minister said, “There has been an unfortunate incident at the stadium in which 47 people have been injured… and sadly there is one fatality.” However, he did not specify the exact cause of the incident. He further added that 39 of the injured had been taken to hospitals, with three reported to be in serious condition. As of now, only one death has been officially confirmed, and there has been no update on whether the toll could rise.
Peru’s 🇵🇪 Health Minister Juan Carlos Velasco announced one dead & at least 60 injured after a structural collapse at Alejandro Villanueva Stadium in La Victoria, Lima, during an Alianza Lima gathering ahead of a match against Universitario https://t.co/XFvtFshMUo pic.twitter.com/HRuarehIFa
— Saad Abedine (@SaadAbedine) April 4, 2026
Initial reports suggested that a wall at the stadium had collapsed during the rally, with some claims stating that more than 60 people were injured due to the incident. However, Fire Chief Marcos Pajuelo contradicted these reports, stating that “the structure of the southern stands appeared to be in good condition. There are no collapsed walls or sections fallen into the pit.”
🚨🇵🇪 BREAKING — Alianza Lima Stadium Collapse Injures Dozens pic.twitter.com/EHOUYXnhbZ
— ✦✦✦ 𝙿𝚊𝚖𝚙𝚑𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚜 ✦✦✦ (@PamphletsY) April 4, 2026
As of now, the match is still scheduled to take place on Saturday night, although an official change in schedule is expected to be announced soon. On the sporting front, Alianza Lima currently lead the Liga 1 standings with 20 points from 8 matches, remaining unbeaten with 6 wins and 2 draws. Meanwhile, Universitario sit in fourth place with 15 points from 8 matches, having recorded 4 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss.
