At least 174 people have died at an Indonesia soccer match after panicked fans were trampled and crushed trying to flee.
Nearly 180 people were injured in the aftermath of the match as home team Arema FC lost the match to Persebaya Surabaya at the Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang in East Java, Indonesia.
The match that ended shortly before 10 pm, home team Arema losing 3-2 to Persebaya Surabaya. Angry supporters from the home side invaded the pitch.
The crush took place after police tear-gassed fans a bid to control the situation, prompting panicked fans to scramble to leave through an exit gate, triggering a stampede and cases of suffocation, East Java police chief Nico Afinta told reporters.
The police chief said that a crush occurs at gate 10 in the stadium. According to a Twitter account posted by a fan recounted that screams can be heard near the exit gate as fans attempt to flee with women and children among those caught in the crush.
Video footage on local channels shows fans who appear unconscious being carried out of the stadium.
Outside the stadium, supporters and police were involved in more clashes, with videos and photos circulated on social media showing police cars burnt.
The country’s chief security minister, Mahfud MD, in an Instagram post says the stadium filled beyond its capacity. He says 42,000 tickets had been issued for a stadium that is only supposed to hold 38,000 people.
Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has expressed his deepest regret and ordered a thorough investigation into the case. He has also ordered the premier soccer league be suspended until a reevaluation on match safety is carried out and tighter security put in place. Widodo said he hoped “this tragedy will be the last tragedy of football in Indonesia.”
On Sunday morning, President Joko Widodo in a video address, orders the football association to suspend all matches in the country’s top league, BRI Liga 1, until an investigation into security at matches is wrapped up.
Indonesia’s soccer association has also banned Arema from hosting soccer matches for the remainder of the season. Rights group Amnesty International urged Indonesia to investigate the use of tear gas at the stadium and ensure that those found in violations are tried in open court.
Data from an Indonesian football watchdog organization, Save Our Soccer, said that at least 86 Indonesian soccer supporters died since 1995 related to supporting their club during the match. Most of them died because of the fights between fans.
The riots and stampede Saturday will be added to the long list of events where fans died supporting their soccer club.
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