Football is in mourning after a derby game in Indonesia between Persebaya Surabaya and Arema FC on Saturday ended in a riot that saw at least 174 people killed and over 180 more wounded, according to local police reports.
Away team Persebaya Surabaya won the match 3-2 at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in a game between two teams in the middle of the league standings.
At the end of the game, fans invaded the pitch with police and stadium security unleashing tear gas in an attempt to stop them with local reports suggesting a stampede then followed.
This resulted in panic as thousands surged towards the exit doors which tragically resulted in people suffocating and being trampled on.
Footage captured from the stands shows how quickly the situation descended into chaos as fans and police clashed.
WARNING: Video below contains distressing content.
At least 174 people have been killed after a riot at a football match in Indonesia.
Warning: This video contains images and descriptions of distressing incidents pic.twitter.com/ww3cOJK6UH
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 2, 2022
According to reports, the situation was made worse by the tear gas which failed to disperse properly, causing people to faint and become trapped as other fans rushed to leave the stadium.
“It had gotten anarchic. They started attacking officers, they damaged cars,” said Nico Afinta, police chief in East Java, adding that two police officers were among the dead.
“We would like to convey that… not all of them were anarchic. Only about 3,000 who entered the pitch.”
Indonesia’s chief security minister, Mahfud MD, claims the stadium was beyond it’s 38,000 capacity, stating 42,000 tickets had been sold.
Liga 1 was suspended for at least a week following the tragedy and the Indonesian Football Federation announced that Arema FC will not play games at its stadium again for the remainder of the season.
“The Federation (PSSI) regrets the actions of the Arema fans at the Kanjuruhan Stadium. We regret what happened and apologise to the families of the victims and all those involved in the incident. We formed an investigation team that was immediately to the city,” a statement from Mochamad Iriawan, the president of the Indonesian Federation, read.
Persebaya also released a tweet to express their grief at the situation: “The great family of Persebaya expresses its deepest condolences for the loss of life after the game of Arema FC vs. Persebaya. No life is worth more than football. We pray for the victims and hope that their families have strength.”
Arema FC are yet to release any statements about what happened.
Clubs around the world have expressed their shock and sadness at the tragedy.
We are deeply saddened to learn of the events in Malang at the Kanjuruhan Stadium Indonesia today.
Along with everyone who finds a connection through football, our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 2, 2022
Paris Saint-Germain would like to offer its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the stadium tragedy in Malang, Indonesia.
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) October 2, 2022
The events in Indonesia are among one of the worst stadium disasters at a football match in history.
A total of 320 people were killed and over a 1,000 injured during a Peru-Argentina Olympic qualifier in Lima in 1964 during a stampede.
In 1985, 39 people died at the Heysel stadium in Brussels, Belgium, when fans were crushed against a wall that then collapsed during the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus.
Just four years later 96 people were killed at Hillsborough in the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The death toll was moved up to 97 in 2021 when it was ruled another supporter was unlawfully killed by effects of the crush 32 years earlier.
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