Indonesia stadium tragedy: According to official media, at least 130 people died

 

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According to official media, one of the deadliest stadium disasters in history left at least 130 people dead after an Indonesian league soccer match turned chaotic and violent into the early hours of Sunday. Two of the top soccer teams in Indonesia, Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya, battled in the stands following a game in the East Java city of Malang, where Arema FC was defeated 3-2. Following the incident, the losing team's fans "invaded" the field and police shot tear gas, causing a stampede that resulted in incidents of suffocation, according to East Java police head Nico Afinta. Additionally among the deceased were two police officers, the

"I lament this tragedy and wish it wouldn't happen again in Indonesian football. Future occurrences of this are not possible. Videos captured late at night from inside the stadium and posted on social media showed fans storming the pitch while donning the home team's colours of red and blue and squabbling with Indonesian security personnel who appeared to be wearing riot gear. According to Reuters, video footage aired on local news networks also featured images of corpse bags. Later, in videos, smoke that seemed to be tear gas was also visible, along with other victims being carried into a building. According to officials, several were being treated at local hospitals for "loss of oxygen and shortness of breath."

One of the worst stadium disasters in history

The East Javan Kanjuruhan Stadium, which can hold up to 38,000 spectators, is primarily used for soccer events. Nevertheless, 42,000 tickets for the game on Saturday were distributed, according to ministry officials. Mahfud MD, the Indonesian Chief Security Minister, claimed in a post uploaded on his official social media accounts that "we had expected the (huge) attendance and requested that the game be held in the afternoon instead, but it went on in the evening." The stadium had been "packed to its maximum capacity," he continued. "Our demands weren't fulfilled. Additionally, I want to underline that Arema FC supporters were there on the pitch. There have been previous incidents of violence at sporting events in Indonesia, and fierce competition between clubs has occasionally resulted in

Global attention is now focused on Indonesia as it prepares to host the FIFA Under-20 World Cup and put in a bid to host the Asian Cup in 2023. Observers point out that the Kanjuruhan Stadium accident has resulted in more fatalities than other major soccer tragedies, such as the Hillsborough Stadium tragedy in Sheffield, England in 1989, which saw 96 Liverpool fans crushed to death. Regarding how the police handled the incident on Saturday, criticism is also escalating. Watchdog organisation Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) demanded accountability and the "removal" of Malang Police Chief Ferli Hidayat in a statement issued on Sunday. "This is the worst soccer-related incident in Indonesia. The police chief ought to be ashamed and step down, stated IPW. A detailed investigation into the death toll is required.

The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has suspended matches next week as a result of the horrific incident, and banned Arema FC from hosting games for the rest of the season. “PSSI regrets the acts of Aremania supporters at the Kanjuruhan Stadium,” the association’s chairman, Mochamad Iriawan, said in a statement issued on Sunday. He stated that the incident had “tarnished the face of Indonesian football” and they were supporting official investigations into the event. “We are sad and apologise to the families of the victims and all parties for the incident,” he said. “For that PSSI quickly created an investigating team and promptly travelled for Malang,” he continued.