MX23RW : Saturday, November 23 18:09:14| >> :600:282769:282769:

At least 174 people dead in Indonesian football stampede

At least 174 people dead in Indonesian football stampede
© Reuters
At least 174 people die and almost 200 more are reported injured in one of the world's worst-ever stadium disasters following a stampede at an Indonesian football match.

At least 174 people have died and almost 200 more have been injured in a stampede at an Indonesian football match.

The tragedy occurred after police fired tear gas at fans who had invaded the pitch following Arema FC's home defeat to bitter rivals Persebaya Surabaya.

Videos show thousands of supporters attacking police vehicles in the wake of the 3-2 defeat, while local reports claim that several of the Arema players who were still on the pitch were also attacked.

Police responded by firing tear gas into the crowd, sparking a panic that saw fans surge towards the exit at the Kanjuruhan Stadium.

Many of those supporters subsequently suffocated or were reportedly trampled to death, with hundreds being rushed to hospital and many dying either en route or in treatment.

A doctor told local media that a five-year-old was among those who had died, while two police officers are also thought to have lost their lives.

"We have already done a preventive action before finally firing the tear gas as (fans) began to attack the police, acting anarchically and burning vehicles," East Java police chief Nico Afinta said in a press conference on Sunday.

However, FIFA regulations state that no firearms or crowd control gas should be carried or used by police inside stadiums.

Overcrowding is also understood to have been a contributing factor, with Indonesia chief security minister Mahfud MD claiming that 42,000 tickets had been issued for the 38,000-seater venue.

Indonesian president Joko Widodo ordered that all matches in the country should be postponed until the investigation is concluded, while also stressing the need to prevent further disasters in the future.

"I deeply regret this tragedy and I hope this is the last soccer tragedy in this country. Don't let another human tragedy like this happen in the future," he said in a press conference.

"We must continue to maintain sportsmanship, humanity and a sense of brotherhood of the Indonesian nation."

Arema FC have been banned from hosting matches for the remainder of the campaign, while further sanctions are also likely to follow.

At least 11 of those injured are thought to be in serious condition, meaning that the death toll could still climb from the latest official figure.

The tragedy appears to have already led to the second-highest death count ever seen in a football stadium disaster, behind only the 1964 crush at the Estadio Nacional during a game between Peru and Argentina which left 328 people dead.

ID:495933:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect3015:

Click here for more stories about Nico Afinta

Click here for more stories about Indonesia

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City117222213923
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
7Aston Villa125431919019
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
9Fulham125341717018
10Brentford125252222017
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1151523131016
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Crystal Palace121561017-78
19Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
20Southampton11119721-144


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!