A stampede incident killed 174 football fans after an Indonesian Premier League match at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java province. The East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta told local media that the stampede occurred when police used tear gas to disperse the supporters of the two teams who were engaged in a brawl once the match concluded. 

With the death toll from the incident touching 129, it will be recorded as the second worst football field disaster in history. 

Also read: Indonesia Kanjuruhan Stadium stampede: 129 dead as fans exit football match

What were the others? Let’s find out. 

1. Estadio Nacional, Peru (1964)

The highest death toll ever due to stampede at a football field was recorded in Peru when 328 people were killed in a clash between Peru and Argentina. It was a must-win game for Peru, with a place in the Olympics at stake. Peru came back from behind in the match to equalise, but it did not last long with Argentina scoring again. Angry fans invaded the pitch prompting police action, but the gates were closed, resulting in a pile-up in which 328 died. 

3. Kanjuruhan Stadium, Indonesia (2022)

The most recent recorded football disaster in history took place on October 2022 at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Indonesia. Around 129 people were killed after police used teargas against an unruly crowd who were throwing seats and bottles on the football field. The gates of the stadium were closed and when the crowd ran towards the exit, it resulted in trampling and suffocation.

2. Accra Sports Stadium, Ghana (2001)

In a similar incident to the one in Indonesia, 126 people were killed due to a stampede after a match between Heart of Oak and Kotoko, the two top teams in the division. The police charged teargas at an unruly crowd who were throwing bottles and seats onto the pitch, but the exit gates were not opened on time. 

Also read: Indonesia stadium stampede: See fans clash after Persebaya Surabaya-Arema Malang match

3. Hillsborough Stadium, England (1989)

The incident at Hillsborough stadium, where 96 deaths were recorded, is the worst football disaster in English history. The match was between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool and the incident happened before kick-off. The Hillsborough stadium was not equipped to deal with large swathes of football fans who came for the match. Eventually, the fans who had entered first were suffocated and killed in the overcrowding incident. 

4. Dasharath Stadium, Nepal (1988)

Nepal recorded one of the worst football disasters in history at a match between Janakpur Cigarette Factory Ltd and Liberation Army. During the match, the 75% open-sided Dasharath stadium was hit by a hailstorm and strong forcing the fans to take shelter at the only stand with covers. After police retaliated at them, the fans ran for the exit seeking shelter, but the gates were closed. It led to the death of 93 people.