Metro escalator breaks, crushing football fans in Rome

The football fans were sent piling into each other.

An escalator at a metro station in Rome ran out of control this evening sending dozens of people hurtling into each other at terrifying speed.

The incident at the Repubblica underground station was filmed and posted on social media today ahead of this evening's Champions League clash in the Italian capital.

The station was overrun with CSKA Moscow fans as they headed to the Stadio Olimpico for the Russian team's match against Roma.

Local media reports claim the escalator malfunctioned after Russian fans were seen 'singing and jumping on it' causing it to give way.

One witness said they 'had just witnessed a scene from the apocalypse' after seeing football fans being sent crashing into one another.

"Part of one man's foot was cut off." SEE, PEOPLE. TAKE THE STAIRS. https://t.co/Ahk0EJEqkm

— Jayme Monacelli (@JaymeKMBZ) October 23, 2018

Dramatic Twitter footage posted by a Russian fan shows the escalator running at incredible speed, causing people to pile up and crash into each other at the bottom.

Part of one fan's foot is believed to have been cut off in the incident, with 20 injured in total, La Repubblica reports.

Most of the injured are Russian, but a small number are Italian, according to the newspaper.

The station has been closed and emergency services are on scene, where injured fans are being stretchered to safety.

Dozens of beer bottles are also pictured in and around the station after fans dropped them in the chaos.

More than 100 firefighters were scrambled to the metro station, where the last few steps of the escalator have completely collapsed.