A bomb scare triggered panic among Juventus fans assembled to watch the Champions League final in Turin on Saturday, leaving some 200 supporters injured, according to local police.

AFP reporters at the scene said chaotic scenes ensued ten minutes before the end of the match, apparently triggered by fireworks being let off and one or more people shouting that a bomb had gone off.

That was enough to trigger a stampede out of the city’s Piazza San Carlo, in which the injuries occurred.

The incident compounded a miserable night for supporters of Juventus, who lost the Cardiff final 4-1 to Real Madrid.

The square was evacuated so quickly it was left strewn with sneakers ripped off people’s feet as they ran.

Panico e gente in fuga in piazza San Carlo a Torino. Non si capisce cosa stia succedendo... #UCLfinal #JuveRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/VHVN94vgo2 — calciomercato.it (@calciomercatoit) June 3, 2017

“The root cause of this was panic, to understand what triggered it we will have to wait a while,” said top local official Renato Saccone, the prefect of Turin.

Police said some 200 people had needed hospital treatment with two of them in a serious condition. Some injuries occurred after a railing around the entrance to an underground parking beneath the square gave way under the weight of the crush.

Local media cited older Juventus fans present as saying the panic had evoked painful memories of the 1985 Heysel disaster in which 39 mostly Italian fans died when fans were crushed by a collapsing wall before the start of that year’s European Cup final, against Liverpool.

Juventus' supporters gather to follow the UEFA Champions League final Source: AFP

Juventus' fans gather in San Carlo's square Source: AP

At least one person was carried away on a stretcher and medics treated fans in the square for cuts and other injuries sustained in the near-stampede.

Thousands of people had gathered in Piazza San Carlo to watch the match pitting Juventus against Real Madrid on giant TV screens.

At a certain point, hundreds ran from the center after some reported hearing a loud sound, an explosion or a shot, said Associated Press journalist Brian Hendrie, who was in the square.

Juventus' supporters evacuate the Piazza San Carlo after a panic Source: AFP

Juventus' supporters look for personal belongings in Piazza San Carlo after a panic movement Source: AFP

Juventus fans leave San Carlo's square Source: AP

“At that moment, I saw the entire piazza went in the direction next to the screen to escape, all in a panic,” he said. “They ran, fell on the ground on the glass.”

He said some reported having heard a small explosion, others a shot. “I heard five or six different versions. It sparked a panic.” Within minutes, dazed fans in Juve’s trademark black and white jerseys returned and milled about the piazza amid the broken bottles and garbage littering the cobblestones.

Real Madrid won 4-1 in the match played in Cardiff, Wales.