Dreadful tragedy in Indonesia: Mass panic has occurred after a football match in East Java province. The authorities speak of at least 174 dead so far.
The number of dead was confirmed by Emir Dardak, vice governor of the region, on ‘Kompas TV’ on Sunday. Thirty-four people were killed on the Kanjuruhan Stadium pitch and all others in hospitals, provincial police chief Nico Afinta said earlier at an impromptu press conference. Police officers were said to be among the dead, and 180 people were also injured.
Rioting broke out after the final whistle of the first division match between Arema FC and Persebaya FC. Thousands of spectators reportedly stormed the pitch following Arema’s 3-2 defeat in Malang. According to Afinata, the police used tear gas to disperse the rioting fans. He did not give any information on the cause of the riots.
According to the police authorities, most of the people died from lack of oxygen. In the course of the riots, 13 vehicles were damaged, most of them police cars.
A total of 42,000 people were in the stadium, said Ferli Hidayat, the local police chief of Malang. As the organisers had banned Persebaya fans from entering the stadium to avoid brawls, all the people present were Arema fans, he added.
Indonesian President Widodo calls for “thorough investigation “
Indonesian President Joko Widodo called on the national football federation PSSI to stop the game after the disaster. The federation reacted on Sunday (local time) and suspended the entire game for a week. The federation also set up an investigation team. “PSSI regrets the actions of Arema supporters at Kanjuruhan Stadium. We are sorry and apologise to the families of the victims and all those involved in the incident,” said the federation chairman Mochamad Iriawan, who assured the investigating authorities of full support in solving the matter. Arema FC will also not be allowed to play any more home matches for the rest of the season.
Widodo as well as the two clubs offered their condolences to the bereaved families of the victims. “I deeply regret this tragedy and hope that this is the last football tragedy in this country,” Widodo said. “Arema FC extends deep condolences for the disaster in Kanjuruhan. Arema FC’s management is also responsible for dealing with the victims, both the dead and the injured,” said club president Abdul Haris. He said the club would set up a crisis centre and a victim information centre. Widodo also announced a “thorough investigation” into the horrific incidents.
The human rights organisation ‘Amnesty International’ advocates an investigation into the police action. Tear gas should never be used in confined spaces, “such a heartbreaking tragedy should never happen again,” Usman Hamid of Amnesty International said in a statement.
One of the worst football-related disasters
The disaster is one of the worst football-related tragedies. In 1964, more than 300 people died in a match between Peru and Argentina in Lima. In the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, 96 Liverpool FC fans were killed and more than 700 injured. In 2012, riots broke out in Port Said, killing 74 people and injuring around 1000, some seriously. In addition, as a result of the judicial processing of the disaster, there were further riots with more than 30 deaths.
