Up to 174 people were killed and 180 injured in a stampede at a soccer stadium in Malang, Indonesia. It’s one of the world’s worst stadium disasters.
Police officers fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse the angry supporters of the losing home side, who had invaded the field after the final whistle in Malang, East Java, on Saturday night, the region’s police chief Nico Afinta told reporters.
“It had gotten anarchic. They started attacking officers, they damaged cars,” Nico said, adding that the crush occurred when fans fled for an exit gate.
East Java Deputy Governor Emil Dardak and the local disaster agency put the death toll at 174 on Sunday afternoon, but Emil later said that figure may have included duplicate fatalities.
The Indonesia football association suspends league to investigate.Police and organisers are facing scrutiny over the tragedy, one of the world’s deadliest sports stadium disasters, including questions over the use of teargas inside the venue, which is contrary to Fifa guidance.
The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, called the events “a dark day for all involved in football and a tragedy beyond comprehension”.“The football world is in a state of shock” he said. “I extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims who lost their lives following this tragic incident.”
Questions have also been raised over why the venue was filled beyond its capacity. Indonesia’s chief security minister, Mahfud MD, said in an Instagram post on Sunday that 42,000 tickets had been issued for a stadium that holds a maximum of 38,000 people.
Supporters from the losing team “invaded” the pitch and police fired tear gas, triggering a stampede that led to cases of suffocation, police said. Photo courtsey of CNN.com
