The death toll in a stampede at the end of a soccer match in Indonesia has risen to 174, local authorities announced on Sunday, making the incident one of the worst tragedies ever to occur at a stadium.
“At 9:30 a.m. [hora local, 03h30 em Lisboa] the death toll rose to 158, and by 10:30 am to 174. These are the data compiled by the East Java Disaster Management Agency,” provincial deputy governor Emil Dardak told Kompas TV, according to the French news agency. AFP.
The previous initial balance was 129 dead and 180 wounded.
The authorities had warned about the possibility that the number of fatalities could increase, given the seriousness of the injuries of some of the people.
It is one of the worst tragedies in the history of a soccer stadium, after 318 people died in clashes between fans from Peru and Argentina at the National Stadium in Lima in 1964.
The incident took place on Saturday night at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in the city of Malang, East Java, after the local team, Arema FC, lost 3-2 to Persebaya Surabaya.
It was Arema’s first home loss in the Reigonal derby against Persebaya in 23 years, according to Indonesian daily Kompas.
Thousands of fans cheering Arema, known as “Aremania”, reacted by throwing bottles and other objects at players and team members.
Disgruntled fans invaded the pitch and clashed with cheerleaders from the opposing team, causing chaos in the stadium.
The police reacted and fired tear gas, even towards the stands of the stadium, causing panic among the crowd.
Hundreds of people ran to an exit door in an attempt to escape not only the violence, but also the tear gas.
Some died of suffocation, while others were trampled, local officials said.
The unrest spread outside the stadium, where two police officers were killed and at least five police vehicles were set on fire.
Survivors said many panicked onlookers were caught by the fleeing crowd as police fired tear gas, according to AFP.
In a televised address, Indonesian President Joko Widodo today ordered “a thorough evaluation of football matches and security procedures.”
The Indonesian federation announced the suspension of the first division championship for a week and banned Arema FC from playing matches in its stadium until the end of the season.
Source: TSF
