A stampede after a football match in Indonesia has killed 125 people, authorities said. The death toll was earlier reported to be 174. Those who died suffocated or were crushed amid panic after the police used tear gas to break up brawls between supporters of rival teams.
Authorities said that some victims were counted twice, news agency Associated Press reported. More than 100 people are injured.
Several brawls erupted inside the Kanjuruhan Stadium after Persebaya Surabaya beat home team Arema Malang 3-2 in the Indonesian Premier League game in Malang, East Java province. The police fired tear gas to control the crowds, which caused panic and hundreds rushed at the same time towards the exits.
Also read: Indonesia Kanjuruhan Stadium stampede: Why Persebaya Surabaya-Arema Malang fans clashed
East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta said 34 people were killed instantly in the stampede that followed. More than 300 people were taken to hospital, but many died on the way. Two police officers are among those who were killed.
Nico said there were “riots” that got “anarchic” and that fans attacked police officers and damaged cars.
Also read: 5 worst football field stampedes in history
Videos from inside the stadium shared on social platforms showed supporters pouring on to the field after the match. Some clashed with security personnel in uniform , who appeared to carry batons and riot shields.
Mahfud MD, Indonesia’s law and security minister, said on Instagram that 42,000 tickets had been sold for the Saturday night game, though the stadium can hold 38,000 people.
The victims, he said, died “from pushing, squeezing, trampling and shortness of breath.”
The government, the minister said, regretted the riots.
Indonesia’s sports minister, Zainudin Amali, told KompasTV that the government would reassess stadium safety, including the possibility of banning fan entry.
“We’re sorry for this incident … this is a regrettable incident that ‘injures’ our football at a time when supporters can watch football matches from the stadium,” he said.
Games in the top division of Indonesia’s BRI Liga 1 have been suspended for a week and an inquiry has been opened, according to the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI).
Also read: Indonesia Kanjuruhan Stadium stampede: BRI Liga 1 football games suspended for a week
96 Liverpool fans were killed in Britain in April 1989 when a fenced-in, overcrowded enclosure at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield collapsed, making it one of the worst stadium tragedies in history.
