Saturday night’s tragedy in Malang city, in which 180 people were injured, was one of the deadliest sports stadium disasters in the world.
At Kanjuruhan Stadium, Arema FC supporters stormed the pitch after their team lost 3–2 to visiting team and bitter rivals, Persebaya Surabaya.
Police, which described the unrest as “riots”, said they tried to force fans to return to the stands and fired tear gas after two officers were killed.
According to the police, many of the victims were crushed or put to death.
At least 125 killed, deputy governor of East Java Emil Dardaki The double count brought the authorities’s earlier death toll to 174, he told broadcaster Metro TV on Sunday evening.
Quoting data collected by the local police from 10 hospitals, he said, “124 have been identified and one is not. Some names were registered twice as they were referred to another hospital and then was written off.”
Survivors described panicked spectators in the crowded crowd as tear gas rained down on them.
“The officers fired tear gas, and spontaneously people were running to come out, pushing each other and it caused many victims,” Donnie, 43, a spectator told AFP.
“Nothing was happening, there was no riot. I don’t know what was the matter, they suddenly let out tear gas. It shocked me, didn’t they think of children, women?”
President Joko Widodo ordered an investigation into the tragedy, a security review of all football matches and directed the country’s football federation to suspend all matches until “security improvements” were completed.
“I deeply regret this tragedy and I hope this football tragedy will be the last in our country,” Widodo said.
A hospital director told local TV that one of the victims was five years old.
Images taken from inside the stadium during the stampede show police firing heavy tear gas shells and people climbing over fences.
Amnesty International called for an investigation into why tear gas was fired at a confined space.
It said in a statement, “Tear gas should only be used to disperse a crowd when there has been widespread violence and when other methods have failed. People should be warned that tear gas will be used.” And they will be allowed to disperse.”
People carried injured spectators amid the commotion and survivors pulled lifeless bodies out of the stadium.
“It was so terrifying, so shocking,” 22-year-old Sam Gillang, who lost three friends in a crush, told AFP.
He said, “People were pushing each other and… on the way to the exit door many people were crushed. My eyes were burning because of the tear gas. Luckily I managed to climb the fence and survived. Gone.”
Video footage circulated on social media showed people shouting obscenities at the police, who were wearing riot shields and using batons.
On Sunday morning, fire-laden vehicles, including police trucks, were scattered on the streets outside the stadium. A total of 13 vehicles were damaged, police said.
The stadium holds 42,000 people and officials said it was sold out. Police said 3,000 people stormed the pitch.
Fan violence is an enduring problem in Indonesia, where deep rivalry has previously turned into a deadly confrontation.
Arema FC and Persbaya Surabaya have been rivals for a long time.
Persebay Surabaya fans were not allowed to buy tickets for the game due to fears of violence.
However, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said that the organizers ignored the recommendation to print fewer tickets and hold matches in the afternoon instead of the evening.
On Sunday, Arema fans threw flower petals at the club’s lion mascot memorial outside the stadium to pay tribute to the victims.
The football world mourned the disaster with Gianni Infantino, president of world football governing body FIFA, calling the stampede “a tragedy beyond comprehension”.
Club Manchester United and Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain defender Sergio Ramos also posted tributes online.
Spanish football clubs will also observe a minute’s silence ahead of Sunday’s matches in honor of the victims.
The Asian Football Confederation, the governing body for football in the region, expressed regret at the loss of life.
PSSI Secretary General Yunus Yusi told a news conference that the Indonesia Football Association (PSSI) is in contact with FIFA over the stampede and hopes to avoid sanctions.
FIFA safety guidelines prohibit the carrying of crowd control gas by police or stewards along the side of the pitch.
Indonesia is to host the FIFA U-20 World Cup in May.
It is also bidding along with South Korea and Qatar to replace China as the host of the 2023 Asian Cup, with a decision to be made this month.
Other stadium disasters include the 1989 crush at Hillsborough Stadium in Britain, which killed 97 Liverpool fans, and the 2012 Port Said Stadium tragedy in Egypt where clashes killed 74.
In 1964, 320 people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured during a stampede at the Peru-Argentina Olympic Qualifiers at the National Stadium in Lima.