Gunfire erupts near Mexico City stadium, sending footballers fleeing

Stadium shooting in Mexico

(CNN) — A soccer match was suspended after gunfire erupted outside a stadium in northern Mexico, causing players to flee and spectators to take refuge under the seats.

See video of the chaotic scene inside the stadium.

Local football clubs Santos and Morelia were tied 0-0 on Saturday when gunmen attacked a nearby police station in the town of Torreon.

About 40 minutes into the match, thunderous shots pierced the noisy stadium.

The players and referees took off, leaving a soccer ball in the center of the field. Crowds hid under seats while others rushed across the field with children.

The commentators, who were analyzing the match a few seconds earlier, fell silent.

“It’s serious, I think it’s gunshots,” said a sports presenter in Spanish.

Military officials discovered an abandoned vehicle with weapons near the stadium after ground and aerial surveillance, the Notimex news agency reported.

The shooting followed an attack on municipal police in Torreon, the Mexican federal government said in a statement.

At a press conference on Saturday, Santos club president Alejandro Irarragori urged supporters not to let the day’s events discourage them.

“It’s a day that should shake up our society. More of us want joy, want respect, and we are fighting for the true joy of our country, and that will not stop the efforts we are making with this sport to bring happiness and enthusiasm to our families,” he told reporters.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon said on Twitter on Saturday that the situation was “under control” and that there had been no deaths, but he noted that the gunfire had created “panic during the Santos-Morelia match.”

Torreon is in the state of Coahuila, which like other border states has seen a high level of violence linked to drug cartels.

Last month, authorities in Torreon said they found 10 mutilated bodies in the back of a truck, Notimex reported.

CNNMexico.com contributed to this report.