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Injured people receive medical treatment in a hospital in Malang in Indonesia Xinhua News Agency/PA Images

'Fans died in players' arms': At least 125 dead after stampede at Indonesian football stadium

The death toll was revised from 175 because of double counting.

LAST UPDATE | 2 Oct 2022

AT LEAST 125 people have died at an Indonesian football stadium when thousands of angry home fans invaded the pitch and police responded with tear gas that triggered a stampede.

The tragedy last night in the city of Malang, which also left 323 injured according to police, was one of the world’s deadliest sporting stadium disasters.

Chilean football coach Javier Roca said today that “fans died in the arms of players” and claimed tear gas-firing police fatally “over-stepped” the mark.

indonesia-malang-football-match-stampede Xinhua News Agency / PA Images Xinhua News Agency / PA Images / PA Images

Arema FC supporters at the Kanjuruhan stadium stormed the pitch after their team lost 3-2 to the visiting team and bitter rivals, Persebaya Surabaya.

“The most terrible thing was when victims came to be treated by the team doctor. About 20 people arrived and four died. Fans died in the arms of players,” Arema coach Roca told Spanish broadcaster Cadena Ser.

“I’m mentally shattered. I feel a heavy burden, even a heavy responsibility.”

Police, who 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.

Many of the victims were trampled or choked to death, according to police.

East Java deputy governor Emil Dardak told broadcaster Metro TV that the revised estimated death toll was significantly lowering officials’ earlier count of 174 because of double counting.

indonesia-soccer-deaths People looking for their family members inspect photographs of the victims provided by volunteers Dicky Bisinglasi / PA Dicky Bisinglasi / PA / PA

Survivors described panicking spectators in a packed crowd as tear gas rained down on them.

President Joko Widodo ordered an investigation into the tragedy, a safety review into all football matches and directed the country’s football association to suspend all matches until “security improvements” were completed.

A hospital director told local TV that one of the victims was five years old.

indonesia-soccer-deaths Trisnadi / PA Trisnadi / PA / PA

Amnesty International called for an investigation into why tear gas was deployed in a confined space, saying it should only be used “when other methods have failed”.

People carried injured spectators through the chaos and survivors lugged lifeless bodies out of the stadium.

“It was so terrifying, so shocking,” 22-year-old survivor Sam Gilang, who lost three friends in the crush, told AFP.

featureimage Fans invade the pitch during clashes between supporters at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, Indonesia Yudha Prabowo / AP Yudha Prabowo / AP / AP

The stadium holds 42,000 people and authorities said it was a sell-out. Police said 3,000 people stormed the pitch.

Fan violence is an enduring problem in Indonesia, where deep rivalries have previously turned into deadly confrontations. Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya are longtime rivals.

Persebaya 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 organisers ignored a recommendation to print fewer tickets and hold the match in the afternoon instead of the evening.

On Sunday, Arema fans threw flower petals at the club’s lion mascot monument outside the stadium in tribute to the victims.
indonesia-malang-football-match-stampede-clash-casualties A police officer ties a rope around a burnt car outside the Kanjuruhan Stadium Xinhua News Agency / PA Images Xinhua News Agency / PA Images / PA Images

In Jakarta as many as 300 football fans, including some known as diehard “ultras”, gathered for a candlelit vigil outside the Gelora Bung Karno stadium, Indonesia’s biggest. Some chanted “Murderer!” and set off firecrackers.

Football world mourns
The football world mourned the disaster with Gianni Infantino, president of world football governing body FIFA, calling the stampede “a tragedy beyond comprehension”.

Manchester United and Barcelona posted tributes online while Spanish football clubs were to observe a minute’s silence before matches on Sunday as a mark of respect.

The Asian Football Confederation, the governing body for football in the region, expressed its regret at the loss of life.

The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) was in touch with FIFA about the stampede and hoped to avoid sanctions, PSSI secretary general Yunus Yussi told a press conference.

FIFA’s safety guidelines prohibit the carrying of crowd control gas by police or stewards at pitchside.

Indonesia is to host the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in May.

It is also bidding to replace China as host of the 2023 Asian Cup alongside South Korea and Qatar, with a decision due this month.

embedded269092083 Security officers detain a fan during clashes between supporters at Kanjuruhan Stadium Yudha Prabowo / AP Yudha Prabowo / AP / AP

Saturday’s game is already among the world’s worst crowd disasters, including the 1996 World Cup qualifier between Guatemala and Costa Rica in Guatemala City where more than 80 died and some 100 others were injured.

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    Mute Mick Tobin
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 7:28 AM

    Fifa rules stipulate stewards or police in stadiums don’t even carry tear gas let alone use it. It’s to disperse crowds, but these poor souls had nowhere to go.

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    Mute Sean Higgins
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 8:33 AM

    It says trouble erupted after a loss which ended 23 years of undefeated home games. That’s mad.

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    Mute James Fox
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 11:36 AM

    @Sean Higgins: that’s nothing. Ballmacarbry are going for their 41st in a row title in the Waterford womens senior club football championship final today.

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    Mute Patrick Breen
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 9:27 PM

    @James Fox: ya coz the Waterford women’s club football championship is definitely more competitive than a football league in one of the most populated countries in the world.

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    Mute Shane McGrath
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 10:35 PM

    @James Fox: don’t be such an a55.

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    Mute Mike Magan
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    Oct 3rd 2022, 6:57 AM

    @Sean Higgins: that’s the All Blacks for you.

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    Mute Marie Broomfield
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 9:35 AM

    My god, total overreaction. The few that were on the pitch compared to the amount still in the stands! When a sport causes people to turn to violence, countries should consider not acccomadating official games! Or banning spectators . I mean when riot police are required to attend youth games, what’s it all coming to. That’s not sport! This is so shocking.

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    Mute SPQH
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 2:07 PM

    @Marie Broomfield: was Hillsborough an overreaction? ONLY 97 died there, sure that’s nothing is it? And before you say it wasn’t the same, the deaths here were caused by pushing and trampling, after police fired tear gas, not from any major trouble amongst fans themselves. There was a pitch invasion.

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    Mute Vinnie Cooney
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 3:56 PM

    @SPQH: there was no trouble amongst fans at Hillsborough. That’s been proven. Bad organisation and bad policing was the cause of that tragedy.

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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 7:58 PM

    @Vinnie Cooney: And it should have never happened had the FA taken on the proposals set out by the enquiry into the Bradford stadium fire only a few years previously

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    Mute SPQH
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    Oct 3rd 2022, 10:51 AM

    @Vinnie Cooney: yes, I didn’t say that there was. The main cause of the issue in Indonesia was the police firing tear gas into the stands and causing a stampede! What’s your point? The same as the op that the fans were to blame in Indonesia?

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    Mute James Lough
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 7:16 AM

    That is terrible

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    Mute Pablo
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 8:03 AM

    Reports now saying over 170 not going home to their families tonight – tragic. From the footage I’ve seen the police/army were well equipped, and quickly cleared the pitch of supporters. Can see no need for them to fire the tear gas within the stadium.

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    Mute Michelle Kee
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 10:42 AM

    Absolute needless loss of life, RIP.

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    Mute John Sleator
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 8:12 AM

    Wow,RIP

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    Mute ciaran enright
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 4:06 PM

    Ah yes the beautiful game, it brings out the worst in rival teams.

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    Mute James Johnson
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 8:15 PM

    Honestly this is a tragedy in any form. The whole football community should be in mourning,
    who ever was to blame matters not at the present time but to have 170 fellow football fans not go home to family is shocking.
    Rest in Peace #ynwa

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    Mute Badger the witness
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 2:47 PM

    And it will be forgotten about in a week or two, and never mentioned again, being a non ‘western’ country.

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    Mute SPQH
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 3:29 PM

    @Badger the witness: disasters that happen here aren’t talked about for very long over in the East either. It’s just natural people gravitate towards news that is nearer home or has the possibility of effecting them directly. It doesn’t lessen the disaster it just happens. I’m sure you’re right and it will be pushed to a minor story in a couple of weeks after all the minute silences and so on.

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    Mute Anna Carr
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    Oct 2nd 2022, 9:40 PM

    Absolutely horrific. Those poor families.

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