In one of the worst sports disasters, at least 174 people were killed, including children and two police officers, police said. Later on Sunday, East Java’s deputy governor Emil Dardak said the toll was revised to 125 . Has been done
In one of the worst sports disasters, at least 174 people were killed, including children and two police officers, police said. Later on Sunday, East Java’s deputy governor Emil Dardak said the toll was revised to 125 . Has been done
Violence and a Deadly Rampage The incident, which erupted after a domestic league soccer match on Saturday night, marks another tragedy in Indonesian football. Here’s a look at how the chaos happened and what is being done to prevent future incidents.
How did the chaos happen?
Persebaya Surabaya created a ruckus after beating rival Arema Malang 3-2 in a match held in Malang city of East Java province on Saturday night. Police said there were about 42,000 spectators in the stadium, all of whom were supporters of Arema as the organizer banned Persebaya fans in an attempt to avoid controversy.
But a disappointing defeat by Arema – losing the first match to rival Persabaya at their home stadium – prompted angry spectators to take to the field after the match to demand answers. Fans threw bottles and other objects at players and football officials, and riots broke out outside the stadium, where at least five police cars were toppled and set on fire and others damaged. Riot police responded with tear gas, which is banned by FIFA in football stadiums. But this caused panic.
Hundreds of spectators ran toward an exit door to escape the tear gas, resulting in a stampede that either crushed or killed about 34 people, with many more deaths due to injuries.
how many people died?
In one of the worst sports disasters, police said at least 174 people, including children and two police officers, were killed, most of whom were crushed. Later on Sunday, East Java’s deputy governor Emil Dardak said the toll had been revised to 125. He said data from 10 hospitals in the area showed that 125 deaths had taken place.
A medical worker carries the bodies of victims of a stampede at a football match at Saiful Anwar Hospital in Malang, East Java, Indonesia, October 2, 2022. photo credit: AP
More than 100 people were injured. Police said the death toll could rise further as the condition of several people was critical.
Data from Save Our Soccer, an Indonesian football watchdog organization, stated that at least 86 Indonesian football supporters have died since 1995 related to supporting their club during matches. Most of them died due to fights between fans.
Riots and stampedes on Saturday will be added to the long list of incidents where fans were killed while supporting their football club.
Why is there violence in football?
Football is the most popular sport in Indonesia and the domestic league is widely followed. Fans are deeply attached to their clubs, and such bigotry often ends in violence and hooliganism. But riots between supporters often take place outside the stadium.
The most famous feud is between Persia Jakarta and Persia Bandung. Supporters of both the clubs have clashed with each other in several matches, which resulted in death. In 2018, a Persian Jakarta supporter was lynched to death by Persia Bandung rivals.
A group of people carry a man after a clash during a football match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, Indonesia, on October 1, 2022. photo credit: AFP
Indonesian football is also beset with difficulties on the international stage. A brawl broke out between supporters of Indonesia and Malaysia in 2019 during qualifying matches for this year’s FIFA World Cup. In September of that year, Malaysian fans were threatened and stoned with projectiles at a World Cup qualifier in Jakarta, and Malaysia’s sports minister had to be pulled out of the stadium following violence. Two months later, fans threw flames and bottles at each other at another match in Kuala Lumpur.
Also in 2019, after losing the final of an Under-22 match to Vietnam at the Southeast Asian Games, Indonesian fans took to social media to insult, harass and send death threats to Vietnamese players and even their families. Took the media.
In June, two Farsib Bandung fans died while entering the stadium in Bandung to watch the 2022 President’s Cup. Angry supporters turned aggressive as officials on the ground did not allow them to enter the already packed stadium.
What is the government doing about it?
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has expressed deep regret and ordered a thorough investigation into the matter. He has also ordered that the Premier Football League be suspended until a re-evaluation on match safety and tight security is put in place. Mr Widodo said he hoped “this tragedy will be the last tragedy of football in Indonesia.”
The Football Federation of Indonesia has also banned Arema from hosting football matches for the rest of the season. Rights group Amnesty International urged Indonesia to investigate the use of tear gas in stadiums and ensure that violators are prosecuted in open court.