At least 129 people lost their lives and more than 180 sustained serious injuries in Indonesia on Saturday night, October 1 in a stampede that occurred after a football match in East Java Province.
Video footage that has been shared widely online shows a group of fans invading the pitch in Malang stadium and dozens of body bags.
According to law enforcement officers, the stampede which is described as one of the worst in football history happened after the match involving Persebaya Surabaya and Arema FC.
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The supporters of Arema FC caused chaos after the match ended 3-2 in favor of Persebaya Surabaya.
Nico Afinta, East Java police boss disclosed that they were forced to fire teargas after the fans became unruly leading to a stampede.
The decision to fire the teargas is what triggered the stampede and some cases of suffocation. This is not the first time that fans have caused chaos in a football match in Indonesia.
The country’s sports minister Zainudin Amali stated after the tragedy that they will re-evaluate measures to ensure an incident like that never happens again.
He added that they are even considering keeping football supporters away from the stadium.
The Football Association of Indonesia on the other hand have announced the suspension of football activities for a period of one week.
The calamity occurred at a time when Indonesia was about to host a major football international tournament.
The nation is scheduled to host the upcoming 2023 FIFA Under 20 World Cup between the months of May and June.
Saturday's incident is one of the worst stadium disasters ever witnessed. In 1989, ninety six people died in the United Kingdom after the collapse of an overcrowded fence at the Hillsborough stadium.
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