Ice Hockey Stadium Collapse Kills 1, Injures Others With ‘People Trapped in Debris’

An ice hockey stadium in Russia collapsed during demolition which resulted in the death of one worker. According to the Moscow Times, Russian officials recovered the body 29-year old Matvey Kucherov who was cutting cables on top of the Saint Petersburg Sports and Concert Complex which closed last year. The footage of the collapse was caught by a drone and the man can be seen cutting cables as the collapse begins. He attempts to make his way back to the crane that lifted him up to the roof.

As soon as the collapse happened, the Russian Emergencies Ministry began searching the structure. And at the time, the ministry said: “According to preliminary information, there could be workers under the rubble.” The Sun reported that 80 percent of the walls have collapsed.

Also called SKK Peterburgsky, the Saint Petersburgh Sports and Concert Complex opened in 1980 and has hosted various events such as tennis bowling and concerts. The area closed in August 2019 to make way for a new arena that will be home to the KHL club SKA Saint Petersburg.

“This project for the SKK Peterburgskiy arena will see it become one of the best stadiums in the world, something which will give Saint Petersburg an added impulse for improving its image and helping solve both social and economic problems,” read a May 2018 team statement per The Hockey News. “The city will fight for the right to host the 2023 IIHF World Championship. The stadium, children’s nurseries and surrounding neighbourhood will all be included in the plans for development.”

SKA vice president Roman Rotenberg added to the statement by saying: “The SKK’s reconstruction will be a breakthrough for ice hockey. First of all, we want to accommodate the interests of our fans. Usually, examples of stadiums in Chicago, Detroit and New York are given, but Saint Petersburg will also soon become an example.”

The arena was originally planned to be the largest in the world, holding as many as 23,000 fans. One of the reasons Saint Petersburg was awarded the 2023 World Championships is the opening of the new arena.

“There’s no doubt that the arenas will be sold out at the World Championship in 2023.” Ice Hockey Federation of Russia President Vladislav Tretiak said via IIHF.com. “The whole world is waiting for the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in St. Petersburg.”