The death toll in a stampede after a soccer game in Indonesia’s East Java province has risen to 174. This was announced by Emir Dardak, Deputy Governor of the region on Kompas TV.
Police used tear gas to disperse rampaging fans, provincial police chief Nico Afinta said earlier at an impromptu press conference. 34 people died on the field of Kanjuruhan Stadium, all others in hospitals, Afinta said, according to radio station Elshinta and station tvOne. He initially gave no information about the cause of the riots.
Square storm in Malang
The riots broke out after the first division game between Arema FC and Persebaya FC. Following Arema’s 3-2 defeat, thousands of spectators stormed the pitch in Malang. Photos published on the tvOne website show, among other things, a completely destroyed car in the stadium. Further pictures show the square storm and clouds of smoke on the square and the grandstands.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo called for a “thorough” investigation in a speech. According to his own statements, he also ordered that the game operations in the first division be stopped until the Indonesian association PSSI had evaluated the investigations and improvements. Widodo expressed his condolences to the victims.
The human rights organization Amnesty International is calling for an investigation into the use of tear gas by the police. “We must ensure that such a heartbreaking tragedy never happens again,” Amnesty International’s Usman Hamid said in a statement. Tear gas should never be used in a confined space.
