A Moroccan fan tragically died in a bizarre accident while celebrating her country’s victory over Canada. The incident occurred in Algeciras, Spain, when the flag she was wearing around her neck got entangled in the motorcycle she was riding with her husband. The 39-year-old woman suffered a severe neck injury when the flag became caught in the rear wheel of the motorbike.
The fatal accident took place shortly after Morocco secured a spot in the World Cup quarter-finals. Despite efforts by police to perform CPR on the victim at the scene, she was in cardiac arrest and could not be revived. She was pronounced dead upon arrival at Punta Europa Hospital.
Authorities confirmed that the woman’s husband tested negative for alcohol consumption. An investigation into the incident is underway in the San Garcia neighborhood of Algeciras.
Expressing his condolences, Algeciras mayor Jose Ignacio Landaluce stated that the city officials were extending their support to the woman’s family during this tragic time. Algeciras, known for its significant Moroccan community, has a population of around 128,000 residents, with approximately 10,000 originating from Morocco.
This unfortunate incident echoes a similar case in December 2022, when an Argentinian fan lost his life in a comparable motorcycle accident. Sebastian Oscar Maciel, 22, suffocated after his flag got caught in the motorbike wheel while celebrating Argentina’s World Cup victory against France in Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires.
Local authorities reported that witnesses observed Maciel falling to the ground with the flag around his neck, leading to the hypothesis that he died from asphyxiation.