At least 125 people have died in a stampede sparked after police fired tear gas at an Indonesian soccer match to drive away rampaging fans.
The Associated PressSecurity personnel, lower, are shown on the pitch after a soccer match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, Indonesia, on Saturday. More than 100 people died when fans invaded the pitch and police responded with tear gas, triggering a stampede, officials said.
Attention immediately focused on the police use of tear gas, which is banned at soccer stadiums by FIFA. The president of the world soccer body called the deaths at the stadium "a dark day for all involved in football and a tragedy beyond comprehension," while President Joko Widodo ordered an investigation of security procedures.
More than 300 were rushed to hospitals, but many died on the way and during a treatment, Afinta said. Television reports showed police and rescuers evacuating the injured and carrying the dead to ambulances.Grieving relatives waited for information about their loved ones at Malang's Saiful Anwar General Hospital. Others tried to identify the bodies laid at a morgue while medical workers put identification tag on the bodies of the victims.
Youth and Sport Minister Zainudin Amali also expressed his regrets that "this tragedy happened when we were preparing for soccer game activities, both national and international level."Indonesia is due to host the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup from May 20 to June 11, with 24 participating teams. As the host, the country automatically qualifies for the cup.