More Than 130 People Died In A Stampede After A Football Match In Indonesia

At least 129 died, and 180 were wounded after the violence and stampede erupted during an Indonesian league soccer match. Fans rioted after Persebaya Surabaya won the game 3-2 against the Arerma and caused one of the scariest tragedies in football history. 

Supporters of the lost side stormed into the stadium, and police used tear gas, which led to a stampede by the crowd and several cases of suffocation.

According to the official, thirty-four people were killed in the Kanjuruhan stadium, and in the remaining hospitals, 180 were wounded. Two police officers were among those killed.

Many were suffocated and crushed when they ran for the exit, Afinta said. "They all tried to leave from the same exit, but then there was a stampede- which led to a lack of oxygen."

A spokesperson for the police later estimated the death count at 129.

The Indonesian chief security secretary, Mahfud MD, said the attendance of fans was higher than that of Kanjuruhan stadium's capacity. The Instagram message on Sunday night showed that 42,000 seats were given to a venue that could hold 38,000 people.

Malang Regency health office released a notice saying that the number of deaths was still unconfirmed and could increase significantly. Victims "died from chaos, overcrowding, and suffocation," Wiranto noted that injured victims were taken to various local hospitals.

The fighting reportedly began when thousands of Arema fans made their way to the field. Persebaya players quickly left the area, but several Arema players still on the field were assaulted.

Local reports claimed that as many as 3,300 spectators were on the field following the game, an estimated 40,000. Police reported 13 vehicles damaged, and ten police cars were among them.

Some photographs of the event surfaced on the internet and are quite painful. The whole stadium was filled with smoke from tear gas and visuals of people climbing over fences. Some were carrying injured spectators throughout the chaos.

The flames of burning vehicles, including a police vehicle, engulfed the streets around the stadium on Sunday morning.

The Indonesian government apologized for the tragedy and promised to investigate.

"We're sorry about this incident...this is a regrettable event that 'injures our football at a moment when supporters can view football matches from the stadium," Zainudin Amali (Indonesian sports and youth minister) told Kompas.

"We will evaluate the match's organization and the supporters' attendance." Fans were finally allowed to watch matches live after the pandemic. "We will discuss if we need to ban fans from attending games again."

Due to the tragic incident, the Indonesian league was suspended for one week. Officials from the association claimed that violence resulted in several deaths, but it was impossible to determine the exact number of people who died.

The Indonesian football association stated that they would closely investigate the incident. The FA and league did not confirm the number of casualties.

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