Tragedy struck at a soccer match in Malang, Indonesia after fights led to the use of tear gas which caused a deadly stampede. According to reports, the riot police at the event were attempting to quell brawls between two rival teams’ fans.
The Arema football club lost 3-2 to Persebaya Surabaya, leading fans to rush the field at Kanjuruhan Stadium. The police’s subsequent use of tear gas led to a deadly stampede, which caused the majority of the 125 fatalities.
Many human rights organizations condemned the police’s use of tear gas, which was the cause of the panic at the stadium. The Indonesian police, however, maintained that the use of gas was necessary, as the crowd had started to turn on the officers. FIFA prohibits the use of tear gas.
According to witnesses, the police shot gas into the stands seemingly randomly, leading the packed crowd to attempt to escape and creating a deadly bottleneck at exits. President Joko Widodo addressed the nation after the tragedy, and said that he asked the national police chief to investigate what occurred in the stadium.
“I regret that this tragedy occurred,” he said. “And I hope this is the last football tragedy in the country.”
While the East Java police chief defended the use of tear gas, Indonesia’s Legal Aid Foundation criticized the officers’ decision to use the chemical. “The excessive use of force through the use of tear gas and inappropriate crowd control was the cause of the large number of fatalities,” the organization said in a statement.
300 people have been reported injured in addition to the 125 dead. This makes the game one of the deadliest in the sport’s history. In 1964, 300 people died at a soccer match in Peru after a controversial call from a referee resulted in riots.
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