The death toll from panic at an Indonesian soccer match climbed to 174, most of whom were trampled to death after police fired tear gas to dispel riots Saturday, making it one of the deadliest sports events in the world.
Riots broke out after the game ended Saturday evening with host Arema FC of East Java's Malang city losing to Persebaya of Surabaya 3-2.
Disappointed after their team's loss, thousands of supporters of Arema, known as "Aremania," reacted by throwing bottles & other objects at players & soccer officials. Fans flooded the Kanjuruhan stadium pitch in protest and demanded that Arema management explain why, after 23 years of undefeated home games, this match ended in a loss.
The rioting spread outside the stadium where at least 5 police vehicles were toppled & set ablaze amid the chaos. Riot police responded by firing tear gas, including toward the stadium's stands, causing panic among the crowd. Tear gas is banned at soccer stadiums by FIFA.
Some suffocated & others were trampled as hundreds of people ran to the exit in an effort to avoid the tear gas. In the chaos, 34 died at the stadium, including 2 officers & some reports include children among the casualties.
More than 300 people were rushed to nearby hospitals to treat injuries but many died on the way and during treatment.
Grieving relatives waited for information about their loved ones at Malang's Saiful Anwar General Hospital. Others tried to identify the bodies laid at a morgue.
Despite Indonesia's lack of international accolades in the sport, hooliganism is rife in the soccer-obsessed country where fanaticism often ends in violence, as in the 2018 death of a Persija Jakarta supporter who was killed by a mob of hardcore fans of rival club Persib Bandung in 2018.
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Source: ESPN
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