At least 131 people were killed after chaos and violence broke out during an Indonesian soccer match in the early hours of Sunday, according to East Java’s governor, in one of the world’s deadliest stadium disasters ever.
Fans of Arema FC and rival Persebaya Surabaya, two of Indonesia’s biggest soccer teams, clashed in the stands after home team Arema FC lost 3-2 in a match in the East Java city of Malang, police said.
Supporters of the losing team then “invaded” the pitch and police fired tear gas, causing a riot that led to cases of suffocation, East Java police chief Niko Afinda said during a press conference after the event.
Two police officers were also among the dead, the police chief said, adding that the crash occurred as fans fled for an exit gate.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi, on Sunday ordered all league matches to be suspended until investigations are completed.
“I have specifically asked the police chief to investigate and get to the bottom of this case,” Jokowi said in a televised address. “Sports, humanity and brotherhood must be preserved in Indonesia.”
“I am sorry for this tragedy and hope it will be the last to happen in Indonesian football. We cannot have any more (of this) in the future.”
Videos taken from inside the stadium late at night and shared on social media showed fans dressed in red and blue – the colors of the home team – storming the pitch and clashing with Indonesian security forces, who appeared to wear riot gear.
Videos broadcast on local news channels also showed images of body bags, Reuters reported.
Smoke, which appeared to be tear gas, was also later seen on video, with several people being carried into a building. Officials said many had been admitted to nearby hospitals, suffering from “lack of oxygen and shortness of breath”.
Located in East Java, Kanjuruhan Stadium is mainly used for football matches – with its full capacity estimated at 38,000 spectators.
But 42,000 tickets were issued for Saturday’s match, according to ministry officials.
“We had predicted the (large) numbers and proposed to play the game in the afternoon, but it continued in the evening,” Indonesia’s Chief Security Minister Mahfud MD said in a post shared on his official social media accounts.
He added that the stadium was “filled beyond its maximum capacity”.
“Our proposals were not met. I would also like to emphasize that the supporters in the stadium were of Arema FC.”
There have been previous outbreaks of trouble at matches in Indonesia, with a strong rivalry between clubs sometimes leading to violence between fans.
“All sports clubs (in Indonesia) that compete between cities are always intense,” Indonesian soccer analyst Dex Glenniza told CNN, noting that it was “forbidden” for fans to visit each other’s stadiums.
“(This is) to avoid friction and conflict between supporters,” he said. “But there are still many incidents between the fans, most of them off the pitch.”
With Indonesia hosting next year’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup and staging a bid for the 2023 Asian Cup, there is now global scrutiny on the country.
Observers note that the death toll from the Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster has surpassed that of other global football disasters, such as the 1989 Hillsborough Stadium tragedy in Sheffield, England, where 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death.
Criticism is also mounting over the police’s handling of Saturday’s event. In a statement released on Sunday, watchdog group Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) called for the accountability and “removal” of Malang police chief Ferli Hidayat.
“This is the worst event in Indonesian football. The police chief should be ashamed and resign,” IPW said.
“The death toll must be thoroughly investigated and President Jokowi must pay attention,” he added.
Exiled Indonesian rights activist Veronica Koman of Amnesty International condemned the use of tear gas by the police.
“This case of misuse of tear gas by the police is illegal and amounts to torture,” he said.
“Tear gas is illegal in war – but why is it still legal for domestic use?”
The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has suspended next week’s matches as a result of the deadly tragedy and banned Arema FC from hosting matches for the rest of the season.
“PSSI regrets the actions of Aremania fans at the Kanjuruhan Stadium,” association president Mochamad Iriawan said in a statement issued on Sunday.
He added that the incident had “tarnished the face of Indonesian football” and that they supported official investigations into the incident.
“We regret and apologize to the families of the victims and all parties involved in the incident,” he said.
“For this PSSI immediately formed an investigation team and immediately left for Malang,” he added.
FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, expressed its condolences to the families and friends of the victims, calling the incident “a black day for everyone involved in soccer and a tragedy beyond all comprehension.”
“Together with FIFA and the global football community, all our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, those who have been injured, along with the people of the Republic of Indonesia, the Asian Football Confederation, the Indonesian Football Association and the Indonesian Football League.” , at this difficult time,” said a statement from FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Meanwhile, the organizing team Arema FC apologized to all those involved in the tragedy in a statement posted on their website.
“As President of Arema FC, I apologize to all the residents of Malang who were affected by this incident, I am very concerned and strongly condemn the riots at the Kanjuruhan Stadium which resulted in more than a hundred deaths,” the statement read. president of Gilang Widya Pramana Association.
Persebaya also released a statement expressing their condolences, saying: “The Persebaya extended family express their deepest condolences for the loss of life following the Arema FC vs Persebaya match. No life is worth football.”
“Congratulations to the victims and the family he left behind take courage.”
Condolences to the victims and family, with the English Premier League also sharing a message of condolence. “The thoughts of everyone at the Premier League are with those affected by the tragic events at Kanjuruhan Stadium last night.”
