UPDATE 2 - Nine People Detained In Buenos Aires Over Public Order Offenses Following Maradona's Death

BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th November, 2020) Nine people were detained on Thursday in the Argentinean capital of Buenos Aires over riots and other public order violations following the death of the Argentine football legend, Diego Maradona, the Infobae news portal reported.

The iconic soccer player passed away on Wednesday at the age of 60 from a cardiac arrest. Two weeks before his death, Maradona was discharged from a hospital where he had undergone brain surgery.

According to the media outlet, the arrests reportedly took place throughout the night and into the morning near the presidential palace where the fans were starting to bid farewell.

The portal added, citing sources, that there were multiple cases of looting, vandalism, riots and clashes with the law enforcement officers.

More riots broke out after the police cordoned off the avenue leading to the presidential palace, where the farewell ceremony is currently taking place.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez eventually decided to limit the number of people who can file past the coffin of the football legend, the TN broadcaster reported.

A Sputnik correspondent reported that the police fired tear gas at the angered fans, who found out that the farewell ceremony would end earlier than previously announced.

In the meantime, a source in the Argentine government told Sputnik that the authorities decided to extend the farewell ceremony until 7.00 p.m. local time (22:00 GMT).

Later, the police used tear gas and water cannons again, this time, to disperse the crowds attempting to get into the palace.

According to the latest reports, the authorities have removed the casket from a hall at the presidential palace for security reasons and it will not be brought back for as long as riots continue.

Meanwhile, Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of the Rossiya Segodnya international news agency and the RT broadcaster, said that RT's correspondent and cameraman covering the farewell ceremony were injured during the riots.

Argentine Interior Minister Eduardo de Pedro has blamed the Buenos Aires authorities for clashes between police and Maradona fans, calling them to end the violence.

"We call on Horacio Laretta [Buenos Aires mayor] and Diego Santilli [vice mayor] to stop this madness on the part of the city police," the interior minister wrote on Twitter.

Tens of thousands of fans spent hours waiting for the opportunity to pay their respect to Maradona for the last time.