HOUSTON (AP) — Spectators at Saturday's Netherlands-Sweden World Cup game were told to shelter in place at the end of the contest because of lightning in the area.
Shortly after the final whistle blew for the Netherlands' 5-1 win, an announcement was made and a warning was posted on the giant video boards at both ends of the stadium.
Stadium officials weren't physically stopping fans from exiting, but urged them to stay inside the stadium for about 30 minutes after the match ended as rain swept through the area. An email to FIFA requesting the exact time that the shelter in place was lifted was not immediately answered.
The crowd of 68,777, which was overwhelmingly pro-Netherlands, danced and cheered as music played while waiting for the all-clear to exit Houston Stadium – FIFA’s name for the stadium that is home to the Houston Texans and known to NFL fans as NRG Stadium.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
Kristie Rieken, The Associated Press
