129 killed in stampede and riots at football match in Indonesia

At least 129 people were killed and about 180 injured at a football match in Indonesia after panicked fans stampede as they tried to leave the stadium during the riots, Reuters reported, citing police.

The match of the Indonesian football championship between Arema and Persebaya ended in tragedy (2:3). The incident was one of the worst stadium disasters in the world.

On Saturday evening, supporters of the losing team ran onto a field in East Java province to express their disappointment, after which police fired tear gas in an attempt to bring the situation under control, sparking a stampede, the East Java police chief told reporters.

“They started attacking the cops, they damaged the cars,” he said, adding that the stampede occurred as the fans ran towards the exit gate.

The pictures show how some fans help others, who, apparently, have lost consciousness. Some received head injuries, among the dead is a five-year-old child, Reuters reports citing Metro TV.

FIFA specifies in its safety regulations that stewards or police must not carry firearms or “crowd control gas”. The East Java Police have not yet responded to a question about whether they were aware of such regulations. The Indonesian Human Rights Commission has scheduled an investigation into the incident, including the use of tear gas, its commissioner said.

Indonesian Security Minister Mohammad Mahfud said in a social media post that the stadium was overcrowded. He said that 42,000 tickets were sold for the 38,000-seat arena.

Financial assistance will be provided to the victims and families of the victims, the governor of East Java said.

The Indonesian Football Association said the country’s top league suspended games for a week and launched an investigation.

Indonesia is due to host the Under-20 FIFA World Cup in May and June next year. It is also one of three countries bidding to host next year’s Asian Cup.