At least 127 people killed after stampede at football match in Indonesia

Indonesia: At least 127 people were had died and over 180 were injured after a stamped broke out following crowd trouble at a football match in the province of East Java overnight, Indonesian police said on Sunday. Children and two police officers are reportedly among the dead.

According to reports, East Java police chief Nico Afinta said that supporters from the losing team invaded the pitch following the match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya had ended. Then police had fired tear gas, which triggered a stampede and cases of suffocation as people tried to escape. Even after the riot ended on the pitch, it continued outside on the streets.

Indonesia’s chief security minister Mahfud MD said that the number of spectators exceeded the capacity of a stadium. He said that 42,000 tickets had been issued for the match while the stadium can hold only 38,000 people.

Video footage from local news channels showed people rushing onto the pitch in the stadium in Malang and images of body bags.

Indonesia’s sports minister Zainudin Amali said authorities would re-evaluate safety at football matches and consider not allowing spectators.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian top league BRI Liga 1 has suspended games for a week following the match that Persebaya won 3-2. The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) said that an investigation had been launched.

This is not the first time this type of incident happened in Indonesia. As per reports, there have been previous outbreaks of trouble at matches in Indonesia due to the strong rivalry between clubs sometimes leading to violence among supporters.