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An impromptu fire alarm caused confusion amongst football fans as Portugal and the USA battled it out at Auckland’s Eden Park for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 on Tuesday night.
Almost 43,000 fans were at the game at the time – a record crowd for a women’s sporting event in New Zealand, and the biggest crowd for any football match in Aotearoa.
According to a Stuff reporter at the scene, the alarm was first heard just after 8pm.
Stuff
The fire alarm began just after 8pm.
They heard the US media team telling US reporters it was a false alarm caused by a sprinkler malfunction, and play continued despite the alarm.
Another Stuff reporter attending the game as a fan said there was confusion and people were unsure what to do when the siren went off.
Some started leaving while others remained in their seats until it was announced over the loudspeaker at 8.15pm there had been a false alarm.
Ryan Anderson/Stuff
Football fans were told they could return to their seats by 8.15pm.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson later confirmed it was a false alarm, and said just one unit had been dispatched to the stadium.
A later investigation by a Stuff reporter on the ground found that a burst pipe appeared to have been the cause of the alarm.
David Long/Stuff
It appeared a burst pipe was the culprit.
A spokesperson for Eden Park confirmed that a sprinkler was activated within a retail outlet on level 3 of the stadium’s concourse during the match.
“This was a false alarm, and we apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.
“The safety and enjoyment of spectators during sporting events are of utmost importance, and we can confirm the situation has been rectified, and fans who were impacted by this incident are back watching the game,” the spokesperson said.
They thanked fans for their “prompt action”.
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