At least 174 people were killed in a stampede Indonesia at a stadium in East Java province, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said. Authorities have been ordered to ensure thorough security arrangements at football matches after extensive damage to property resulted in many injuries.
He ordered the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) to suspend Liga 1 matches until an investigation was completed and called it “the nation’s last football tragedy”.
Police in East Java province, Indonesia, said at least 127 people were killed and 180 injured in a stampede after a crowd rioted at a football match. After the match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya ended, supporters of the losing team attacked and police fired tear gas shells, causing stampedes and suffocation, East Java police chief Niko Afinta told reporters.
Video footage from a local news channel showed body bags with people crowding the stadium in Malang. Persebaya won 3-2. Indonesia’s top league BRI Liga 1 has been suspended for a week.
Matches in Indonesia have a history of previous incidents of trouble, with a strong rivalry between clubs sometimes turning fans violent.