An accident involving an escalator in the Rome metropolitan system has injured about 20 people, mostly Russian football fans.

A video on Sky TG24 shows the escalator accelerating suddenly and the people riding down on it collapsing on to one another.

The dramatic footage shows people on the parallel escalator trying to pull others to safety.

The prefect’s office put the number of injured at 20, mostly Russians in the city for a Champions League game between CSKA Moscow and Roma.

Firefighters evacuate a person who was wounded after an escalator crashed
Firefighters evacuate an injured person (Claudio Peri/ANSA via AP)

The metropolitan station at Piazza Repubblica near the main Termine train station was closed by investigators.

“The scene that we found was people piled up at the bottom of the escalator,” said Rome provincial fire chief Giampietro Boscaino.

“People one on top of the other looking for help. They had various injuries caused by the escalator that was twisted, therefore serious injuries.”

News agency ANSA quoted Rome mayor Virginia Raggi as saying that witnesses reported people were jumping and dancing on the escalator before the accident.

ANSA also quoted city transport agency officials as saying maintenance is carried out on metro system escalators every month.

Separately, one CSKA fan was slashed with a knife during clashes between opposing fans outside the Stadio Olimpico, ANSA reported.

About 1,500 CSKA fans were attending the match.