Jakarta: 32 children were among those who died in the incident that turned into a riot by fans at a football stadium in Indonesia. This includes four children under the age of three. A total of 125 deaths were reported. One of the biggest sporting disasters in history took place at the Canjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java. A good percentage of the 323 injured are children.
The government has announced a detailed investigation into the incident. Victims and social activists are demanding that those responsible for the disaster be identified and strong action be taken. Eyewitness Iko Priyanto told the AFP news agency that the scene looked like a mass grave, where women and children were gathered. He asked for help from the police and the army but did not get it.
Prianto added that the army threatened to beat him. Meanwhile, Arema FC president Jilang Vidya Pramana apologized to the community. Arema FC’s 3-2 loss to arch-rivals Persebaya FC on Saturday night led to fan protests and riots.