- The death toll in a stampede after a soccer game in Indonesia’s East Java province has risen to 174. This was announced by the deputy governor of the region on TV.
- In addition, another 180 people were injured.
- After the riots, the police used tear gas to disperse the rampaging fans, said Nico Afinta from the local police. According to the police, this triggered a mass panic.
The tragedy in Malang is one of the worst sports stadium disasters in the world. The Kanjuruhan Stadium holds a total of 42,000 spectators and was sold out according to the authorities. According to the police, 3,000 people stormed the square.
After the game, police said angry fans stormed the pitch after their club, Arema FC, lost the game 3-2 to arch-rivals Persebaya Surabaya. The police then said they tried to persuade the fans to return to the stands and finally fired tear gas into the crowd after two police officers were killed.
According to the police, this triggered a mass panic. At one exit there was a traffic jam and “shortness of breath and lack of oxygen”, said the local police chief Nico Afinta. Many of the victims were therefore trampled to death.
Thorough investigation
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has ordered a security review of the country’s football games following the disaster. Widodo also called for a “thorough” investigation. According to his own statements, he also ordered that the game operations in the first division be stopped until the investigations and improvements had been evaluated by the Indonesian association PSSI. Widodo offered his condolences to the victims.
Legend:
Kanjuruhan Stadium looks like a theater of war after the stampede.
Keystone/EPA/SANDI SADEWA
The human rights organization Amnesty International is calling for an investigation into the use of tear gas by the police. “We must ensure that such a heartbreaking tragedy never happens again,” Amnesty International’s Usman Hamid said in a statement. Tear gas should never be used in a confined space.