World Cup brings global trail of carnage

Image
AFP Paris
Last Updated : Jun 24 2014 | 9:37 AM IST
The hangover goes around the globe like a Mexican wave -- a trail of destructive and sometimes deadly celebration is left after every win and the World Cup 'sickie' has become an epidemic.
Bogota's mayor ordered a ban on alcohol sales during Colombia's World Cup matches after nine people died in fighting and car accidents sparked by the country's 3-0 win over Greece.
"We want peaceful celebrations. We must reject violence," said the mayor, Gustavo Petro. About 3,000 street fights were reported to police after the win in the city of eight million people.
In France, migrant Algerian fans poured onto the streets of Paris and other big cities after their country beat South Korea 4-2 on Sunday.
At least 28 people were arrested by police who fired flash balls to break up unruly crowds and in some cases were pelted with stones, police said. Dozens of cars were burned.
Alcohol is causing other World Cup tragedies. A drunken Mexican fan jumped off a cruise ship deck to his death after his country drew with Brazil. The ship was taking 3,500 Mexicans between the Brazilian cities of Fortaleza and Recife.
Hardly a country has escaped fallout from World Cup binge drinking.
Nepalese police have caught hundreds of football fans drinking and driving after staying up all night to watch World Cup matches.
Police in the Himalayan nation's capital, Kathmandu, seized the licenses of more than 400 fans in one week, said Basanta Pant, spokesman for the Kathmandu Traffic Police Division. That is twice the weekly average.
Authorities have deployed 100 extra personnel to stand guard at main intersections until 4:00am, ready to stop beer-fuelled fans.
Some 5,200 cases of drunk driving were reported in China in the first three days of the World Cup, a 65% increase over the figure during the 2010 tournament, the official China Daily newspaper reported.
Traffic police will "conduct selective tests during daytime to keep hungover motorists off the roads," added the report.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jun 24 2014 | 9:37 AM IST

Next Story