A crowded underground escalator has collapsed in a central Rome train station leaving 24 people injured.

Mobile phone footage of the incident shows dozens of people hurtling to the bottom and rushing to get out of the way.

The injured commuters were believed to be mostly Russian soccer fans visiting for a CSKA Moscow Champions League match.

Authorities said the escalator at the Repubblica station, near Rome’s main Termini train station, collapsed just after 7.30pm (local time) on Tuesday, sending people crashing to the foot of the stairs.

BREAKING: Escalator out of control at metro station in Rome, causing multiple injuries https://t.co/fRvt6Crs5l

— BNO News (@BNONews) October 23, 2018

Most people suffered light leg injuries, but one victim risks a foot amputation, the ANSA news agency said.

Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi has told reporters that witnesses have said the fans were “jumping and dancing” on the escalator when it broke down.

People on the parallel escalator can be seen trying to grab those on the broken machine and pull them to safety.

Pictures posted to social media by Italian firefighters show twisted metal, purportedly from the broken escalator.

#Roma #23ott 19:45, cede scala mobile #metroA stazione #repubblica: intervento #vigilidelfuoco in corso per soccorso ai feriti pic.twitter.com/TVAsgYD8Zd

— Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) October 23, 2018

“It was a strange accident,” Rome firefighters’ commander Giampiero Boscaino was quoted as saying by ANSA, adding that it was too early to speculate about what caused it.