Indonesia woke up on Sunday bereaved by one of the worst stadium tragedies ever. At least 174 people died in a crowd movement when thousands of fans invaded a football pitch and were sprayed with tear gas.
The tragedy, which took place on Saturday evening in the city of Malang, east of the island of Java, also left some 180 injured in this archipelago of Southeast Asia where rivalries between supporters often saw to disaster. A hospital director told a local television station that one of the victims was only five years old.
A distressing spectacle in front of the stadium testified Sunday morning to the unrest of the day before: charred vehicles, including a police truck, littered the streets. The police have been 13 burned vehicles.
Burned police vehicles outside Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang on October 2, 2022. [PUTRI – AFP]
“Riots” of supporters and tear gas
Fans of the Arema FC team entered the pitch at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang City following their team lost 3-2 to Persebaya Surabaya. It was the first time in more than twenty years that Arema FC had lost to their great rival.
The stadium contained 42,000 people and was full according to the authorities. Some 3,000 of them invaded the field in anger following the match.
Police, who called the incident a “riot”, tried to persuade fans to return to the stands and fired tear gas following two officers were killed. Many victims were trampled to death.
Footage captured inside the stadium shows a huge amount of tear gas and people clinging to the barriers, trying to escape. Others carried injured bystanders, pushing their way through the chaos.
A group of supporters tend to an injured man. [STR – AFP]
Reaction of President Widodo
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Sunday ordered “a full assessment of football matches and security procedures” following the incident. He asked the National Football Association to suspend all games until “security improvements”.
“I deeply regret this tragedy and hope that this football-related tragedy will be the last in our wake,” he said in a televised address. The Indonesian government also apologized for this incident.
Mea culpa also on the side of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI), which suspended all matches scheduled for this week. “We are sorry and we apologize to the families of the victims and to all parties for this incident,” said PSSI President Mochamad Iriawan.
Violence in Indonesian football
Fan violence is a problem in Indonesia, where long-running rivalries have turned into deadly clashes. Some matches are so tense that players from top teams have to go there under heavy protection. Persebaya Surabaya fans had not been allowed to buy tickets for the game for fear of incidents.
furr/vic with afp
