A fire broke out at a football stadium in Marijampole during a Lithuanian Cup final, leading to a police investigation after a flare was thrown by a fan.
On February 16, at around 5:20 PM, a fire erupted at a football facility in Marijampole during a match for the Lithuanian Football Federation Cup final between 'Kauno Žalgiris' and 'Panevėžys'. The fire was reportedly triggered when a fan threw a smoke flare, igniting a mattress located behind the stands along with doors and plastic window frames. Emergency services were able to evacuate approximately 1,000 attendees, and fortunately, there were no injuries reported during the incident.
Firefighters who responded to the scene quickly extinguished the blaze. Investigations revealed that although the fire alarm system functioned properly, the skylights designed for emergencies did not open, which could have facilitated safer evacuation. As a result of this incident, a pre-trial inquiry was initiated under Article 187, Section 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania to assess the situation and determine liability for the fire. The financial damages caused by the fire are currently being assessed.
In a related sporting note, the match concluded with 'Kauno Žalgiris' claiming victory over 'Panevėžys' with a score of 1-0, subsequently winning the Lithuanian Football Federation Supercup. This incident happened in the midst of celebrating their victory, underscoring the need for better crowd and event management during such high-stakes matches to prevent future occurrences of violence and incidents like this fire.
