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CSKA Moscow fans injured in escalator accident in Rome

A photo of the escalator at t the underground metro station "Repubblica" in Rome after it jammed on Tuesday. Photo by Handout / Vigili del Fuoco / AFP

An escalator collapse in Rome's La Repubblica metro station on Tuesday night, has left 24 CSKA Moscow fans injured, with one person in a serious condition, city administrators have confirmed.

The incident happened just a few hours before CSKA Moscow's Champions League clash with Roma and most of the injured are reported to be Russians.

One has a foot "semi-amputated", according a statement released by city administrators, published by La Repubblica.

The cause of the collapse is not yet clear with a video of the incident shows the escalator moving at an excessive speed, with people being thrown into a crush at the very bottom.

Photographs of the escalator show a concertina effect of the steps at the very bottom of the escalator and the local authorities are now investigating the cause.

The mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, visited the scene on Tuesday night and posted a video on Facebook in which she told reporters that "some eyewitnesses saw the fans jumping up and down on the steps -- we are here to work out what happened."

In the early hours of Wednesday, Roma -- who won the game 3-0 -- tweeted: "The thoughts of everyone at AS Roma are with the football fans and members of the public who were injured when an escalator collapsed in a subway station in Rome on Tuesday evening."