Indonesian soccer experienced this Saturday the darkest chapter in its history following thousands of fans of the Arema FC jump onto the field of play at the Kanjuruhan Stadium following the 3-2 defeat in the classic East Jarva before him Persebaya Surabaya. Local news portals report that there are at least 40 dead and that is why the suspension of league matches was announced for the rest of the date.
The viralized images of what happened are dramatic. Several fans were able to film with their cell phones what the moment was like when a crowd jumped onto the field and started a confrontation cwith the police officers who responded by using tear gas on the green grass and in the stands. Meanwhile, soccer players, referees and coaching staff escaped to the changing rooms to avoid being attacked.
“We are concerned and deeply regret this incident. We share our condolences and hope that this will be a valuable lesson for all of us,” said Akhmad Hadian Lukita, president of Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB). Also, Arema FC has already been informed that it will not play once more with the public or in its stadium for the remainder of the seasonwhile other measures are analyzed.
Several local portals indicate that there are dozens of deceased. The newspaper Posttown of Indonesia published a fragment of a statement that corresponds to local authorities: “About 40 people died (still in data collection). About 100 people are still being treated at the Kanjuruhan District Hospital. Malang Hospital and Wava Husada (still in data collection process).”
Among the injured are children and women who were taken to two hospitals in the area. In turn, the local news site Comas published that some of “the victims were the product of being trampled by other sympathizersas well as the difficulty in breathing due to the tear gas fired by the security forces”.
The level of violence was such that fights broke out in the stands, on the field of play and, when the stadium gates were opened, in the vicinity of the enclosure, where Police had to respond with greater force to the chaos. In addition, members of the Indonesian Armed Forces in order to restore peace, while the fire and gases became part of the violent landscape.
For its part, the club Persebaya posted on his Twitter account: “The extended family of Persebaya deeply regrets the loss of life following the Arema FC vs Persebaya match. No life alone is worth football. We pray for the victims and that the families left behind are given strength.”
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