Indonesia is to deploy an independent investigation team to probe a football stadium raid that killed around 125 people, including more than a dozen children.
Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security, Mahfud MD, said the investigation into Saturday night’s tragedy in Malang after a league match between arch-rivals Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya FC would aim to find out what happened and to identify the perpetrators.
The disaster started after Arema were beaten, the first time they had lost at home in 23 years. As fans rushed onto the pitch, police fired tear gas, prompting panicked fans to rush for the exit doors.
Some people suffocated in the chaos, others were trampled to death. Two police officers were among those killed at the stadium and at least 17 children in one of the world’s worst football stadium disasters.
Reihan Zailani, who was at the game, told TAM he saw “kids die before his eyes” as people tried to escape tear gas. “People were scattered and running around trying to get out,” he said. “But the exit was blocked and we piled in there.” Zailani eventually managed to get out but said police continued to fire tear gas even after they fled the stadium.
The game was sold out with at least 42,000 spectators in the stadium, although Persebaya Surabaya fans were banned from the game due to the intense rivalry between the two teams in the east of the densely populated island of Java. Witnesses said the problems started after Arema lost and fans started taking to the pitch.
