Death toll rises in Moscow football riots

The death toll from a bloody football riot after Russia lost to Japan in the World Cup rose today, as a second victim died overnight, police said.

Russian media said the second death was a police officer who died from stab wounds, but authorities said they were still trying to establish the victim’s identity and how he died.

In another development, hooligans attacked a dormitory housing Vietnamese workers late yesterday, hurling empty beer bottles at the building, police said. No further details were immediately available.

Several main streets in central Moscow erupted into violence yesterday evening following the match, which Russia lost 0-1 to Japan. The game had been broadcast live on a large screen across a square near the Kremlin.

The Russian fans rampaged, setting cars on fire, smashing shop windows, fighting with the police and each other, and attacking a group of young Japanese musicians.

An Associated Press photographer saw a mutilated corpse lying on the street during the chaos, and police later confirmed that at least one man was killed. The circumstances of his death remained unclear.

At least seven cars could be seen burning and more than a dozen were completely overturned. Dozens of others, including expensive foreign cars, had their windows smashed.

Startled shop workers raced to take racks of clothes and shoes into their stores. Some people burst into tears when they returned to their destroyed vehicles.

Officials said about 50 people were admitted to hospital. Police said 8,000 fans were involved in the riot and about 60 people were detained.

Thousands of fans ran through the streets chanting ‘‘Forward, Russia!’’ and other slogans. The fans, many who had been drinking beer and other alcoholic drinks, jumped up and down on cars and fought among themselves, throwing empty beer bottles at each other.

Some of them were wrapped in the Russian tricolour. Many had their faces painted in the colours of the Russian flag.

Thick black smoke rose from several cars near the national parliament building, the State Duma, and from the square in front of the Bolshoi Theatre.

The windows of shops up to a mile away - including a Tiffany jewellery store, a Sbarro pizzeria, an Ecco shoe store and the historic Yeliseyevsky grocery store - were smashed. At least two banks had their front windows smashed. Bus stops and telephone booths were destroyed.

Cars also had their windows smashed all the way along the road leading to the headquarters of the Russian security services, the former KGB, as well as in front of the offices of the Russian Presidential Administration which also had windows broken.

Five music students from Japan who were attending the 12th Tchaikovsky musical competition nearby were attacked by football hooligans, a duty officer at the Japanese embassy in Moscow said. One of the students was injured, but his wounds were not considered serious.

Last week, the Japanese embassy had warned its citizens not to go out if Japan won.

The violence erupted after Japan scored its goal but before the match had ended. Few police officers were nearby at the time.

Firefighters arrived first, and the rioters attacked their trucks.

Photographers and cameramen were also beaten up, and an ambulance was attacked as well.

Once police arrived, some of the fans tried to help them detain the instigators of the riots by overpowering the hooligans and leading them to the police.

Aggressive Russian football fans have in the past rampaged through Moscow, but never to such an extent.

Moscow city officials ordered a stop to the broadcasting of matches on big outdoor screens.

Some politicians criticised the authorities for showing the game without preparing for possible violence.