In one of the world’s worst stadium disasters, at least 174 people were killed and 180 injured in a stampede and riot at a soccer match in Indonesia, officials said on Sunday.
When irate supporters of the losing home team stormed the pitch in Malang, East Java on Saturday night, the police resorted to firing tear gas in order to quell the riot, which inadvertently led to a stampede and various instances of suffocation, as per East Java police chief Nico Afinta’s report to the press.
“When fans started attacking officers and damaging cars, it got pretty chaotic,” Nico said, adding that the crush happened when people fled for an exit gate.
Around 10 p.m., video footage from local news channels showed fans streaming onto the pitch after Arema FC lost 3-2 to Persebaya Surabaya. Scuffles can be seen, with what appeared to be tear gas in the air.
Photos showed fans who appeared to have fainted or been injured being carried away by other people.
The head of one of the hospitals in the area treating patients told Metro TV that some of the victims had sustained brain injuries and that the fatalities included a five-year-old child.
President Joko Widodo said that authorities in Indonesia must take a thorough look at security measures for soccer matches, hoping that this would be the last tragedy of its kind in the nation.
The president ordered the Football Association of Indonesia to suspend all games in the Indonesian top league BRI Liga 1 until an investigation had been completed.
