Here's What Happened At An Indonesian Football Stadium Where 125 People Died
Tear gas fired by the police prompted panicked fans to scramble and leave through an exit gate.
A football match at a stadium in Indonesia has ended in disaster, with at least 125 people killed and more than 320 injured after police sought to quell violence on the pitch, authorities said yesterday, 2 October
Image via Reuters
Here is how events unfolded:
At 8pm local time on Saturday, 1 October, a match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya kicked off at the Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang in East Java, Indonesia
Shortly before 10pm the match ended with the home team Arema losing 3-2 to Persebaya Surabaya. After the referee blew the final whistle, angry supporters from the home side invaded the pitch.
Video footage shot by a Reuters witness shows fans clashing with police on the pitch.
Police fired tear gas in a bid to control the situation, prompting panicked fans to scramble and leave through an exit gate, triggering a stampede and cases of suffocation, East Java police chief Nico Afinta told reporters.
Image via Reuters
The police chief said a crush occurred at gate 10 in the stadium
Screams could be heard near the exit gate as fans attempted to flee with women and children among those caught in the crush, according to an account on Twitter posted by a fan.
Video footage on local channels show fans who appear unconscious being carried out of the stadium.
Outside the stadium, supporters and police were involved in more clashes, with videos and photos circulated on social media showing police cars burnt.
Image via Reuters
The country's chief security minister, Mahfud MD, in an Instagram post said the stadium was filled beyond its capacity
He said 42,000 tickets had been issued for a stadium that is only supposed to hold 38,000 people.
Yesterday morning, President Joko Widodo in a video address, ordered the football association to suspend all matches in the country's top league, BRI Liga 1, until an investigation into security at matches is wrapped up.
Image via Reuters
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