At least 129 people have died in a stampede at an Indonesian football match, officials say, in one of the world’s worst stadium disasters.
Indonesia stampede : News | update | Video | Killed
Throughout the match itself, the security situation had been smooth, without major incidents.
Following the end of the match, which Persebaya won 3–2, approximately 3,000 supporters of Arema FC invaded the pitch.
| Date | 1 October 2022 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang, East Java, Indonesia |
Arema supporters, nicknamed Aremania, threw objects, damaged police vehicles, and started fires in the stadium.
The police responded by using tear gas in an attempt to disperse the Aremania. The situation worsened after the tear gas use, as wind conditions trapped the tear gas in the stadium, asphyxiating Arema FC supporters invading the pitch.
According to police accounts, the tear gas caused the Arema supporters to rush for the single exit point, resulting in a stampede and further asphxiations.
Indonesia stampede news
At least 129 people were killed and around 180 injured at a soccer match in Indonesia after a crowd stampede during a riot, police said on Sunday, in what appears to be one of the world’s worst stadium disasters.
After the match in East Java province between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya ended on Saturday night, supporters from the losing team invaded the pitch and police had fired tear gas, triggering a stampede and cases of suffocation, East Java police chief Nico Afinta told reporters
Video footage from local news channels showed people rushing onto the pitch in the stadium in Malang and images of body bags.
There have been previous outbreaks of trouble at matches in Indonesia, with a strong rivalry between clubs sometimes leading to violence among supporters.
Zainudin Amali, Indonesia’s sports minister, told KompasTV the ministry would re-evaluate safety at football matches, including considering not allowing spectators in stadiums.
The Indonesian top league BRI Liga 1 has suspended games for a week following the match that Persebaya won 3-2 and an investigation had been launched, the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) said.
Update
The brawls that broke out just after the game ended late night Saturday prompted riot police to fire tear gas, which caused panic among supporters, said East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta.
Hundreds of people ran to an exit gate in an effort to avoid the tear gas. Some suffocated in the chaos and others were trampled, killing 34 almost instantly.
More than 300 were rushed to nearby hospitals to treat injuries but many died on the way and during a treatment, Afinta said.
Now death toll rises above 150.
Indonesia is to host the FIFA under-20 World Cup in May and June next year. They are also one of three countries bidding to stage next year’s Asian Cup, the continent’s equivalent of the Euros, after China pulled out as hosts.
Indonesia stampede video
Indonesia’s chief security minister Mahfud MD said on Sunday that the number of spectators exceeded the capacity of a stadium where there was a crowd stampede that killed 129.
In an Instagram post, he said 42,000 tickets had been issued for a stadium that had a capacity to hold 38,000 people.
Videos show fans running on to the pitch after the final whistle.
Police then fired tear gas, leading to a crowd stampede and cases of suffocation, said Nico Afinta, police chief in East Java.
They started attacking officers, they damaged cars,” he said, adding that two police officers were among the dead.
“We would like to convey that… not all of them were anarchic. Only about 3,000 who entered the pitch,” he said.
Fleeing fans “went out to one point at the exit. Then there was a build-up, in the process of accumulation there was shortness of breath, lack of oxygen”, he added.
Videos on social media show fans clambering over fences to escape. Separate videos appear to show lifeless bodies on the floor.
Killed
At least more than 150 people died and above 200 injured in this stampede.
The Indonesian football association (PSSI) said it had launched an investigation, adding that the incident had “tarnished the face of Indonesian football”.
Violence at football matches is not new in Indonesia, and Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya are long-time rivals.
Stay tuned for more updates.