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IndonesiaAt least 127 dead in violence during a football match
Police said on Saturday evening that at least 127 people had died in violence following a football match in Malang, in the east of the island of Java.
Fans of the Arema FC team entered the pitch at the Kanjuruhan stadium in the eastern city of Malang following their team lost 3-2 to Persebaya Surabaya.
AFP
At least 127 people died on Saturday night in Indonesia as a result of a crowd commotion sparked by angry fans storming a soccer field following a match and the firing of tear gas by law enforcement, it said. the police.
Fans of the Arema FC team entered the pitch at the Kanjuruhan stadium in the eastern city of Malang 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. Police, who called the event 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.
“In the incident, 127 people died, two of whom were police officers. Thirty-four people died inside the stadium and the rest succumbed to hospital,” local police chief Nico Afinta said in a statement. “At one point, they headed for the exit. But there was a build-up (of people) and in that process of build-up (people) got gasped, lack of oxygen,” he explained.
Indonesian government promises investigation
The Indonesian government apologized for this incident and promised to investigate the circumstances of this crowd movement. “We are sorry for this incident (…) It is a regrettable incident which + hurts + our football at a time when supporters can attend a match in a stadium”, declared the Indonesian Minister of Sports and Youth Zainudin Amali at the Kompas channel.
“We will thoroughly examine the organization of the match and the number of supporters (in the stadium). Will we ban the presence of supporters at matches once more? We will discuss it,” he added.
(AFP)