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A tribute was paid, Thursday, May 5, to the 19 dead and 2,357 injured in the Furiani tragedy, in Bastia. 30 years after the tragedy, the accident remains the worst disaster in the history of French sport.
The grimacing face of an injured man, evacuated at arm’s length by a CRS, or the distress of a woman in the midst of chaos: 30 years ago the worst disaster in French sport took place in Bastia (Haute-Corse) . 19 people died, 2,357 were injured. On May 5, 1992, Corsica celebrated: the Bastia club hosted Olympique de Marseille (OM) in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France. For the occasion, a temporary 9,000-seat stand has been installed. “It was a party, we were all happy to be there. Until everything fell”, remembers Vanina Viora Albertini, victim of Furiani. The top of the rostrum collapses, carrying dare hundreds of people. Those who can escape from the rubble.
The victims are so numerous that even the players participate in the rescue operations. “We see everything that is happening behind the stand. This is where the horror is. We hear people crying, people screaming, calling for help”, says Bernard Casoni, a former OM player. The horror only lasted one evening at Furiani, but the sadness is there forever.