Ligue 1 match SUSPENDED twice and players rushed down tunnel as plume of smoke engulfs stadium after flares thrown
MONTPELLIER'S Ligue 1 clash with St-Etienne has been suspended due to flares set off by supporters.
La Pallaide went into the match hoping to bolster their fading survival hopes.
But after Jean-Louis Gasset's side went 2-0 down to their fellow strugglers, supporters let their frustrations boil over.
After Les Vertes doubled their lead early on in the second half, flares were thrown onto the pitch.
This caused a stoppage in play of around three minutes.
The match briefly resumed, before it became apparent that a fire had broken out at the front of the Etang de Thau stand.
Supporters could be seen running to the back of the stand as a plume of black smoke worryingly rose from the blaze.
The referee suspended the contest and sent players back to the dressing rooms as the fire continued to burn.
Etang de Thau is where Montpellier's black-clad ultras stand during matches.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.