The biggest disaster in a soccer stadium in Indonesia

Indonesia is in shock, and the soccer world is in turmoil. Indonesian President Joko Widodo ordered police to investigate a stadium stampede that left at least 129 people dead and about 180 injured after a soccer match in Malang on Sunday, October 2.

“I have also ordered the police to carry out a comprehensive assessment of security procedures for soccer matches,” the president said at a news conference.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo also asked the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) to temporarily suspend all matches in the Southeast Asian country until the investigation is complete.

Two police officers were among the victims of the incident. The tragedy, one of the world’s deadliest sports disasters, occurred on Saturday night, October 1, at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java province, immediately after Arema Malang lost a Liga 1 (Indonesian top division) soccer match to Persebaya Surabaya.

Apparently, fans of the losing team climbed the fence and entered the field, resulting in clashes with police and a stampede.

The police, including riot police, fired tear gas, which caused panic in the crowd. The crowd rushed to leave the stadium, causing a stampede at an exit door.

“About 34 people died inside the stadium, and the rest died in hospital,” said Nico Afinta, provincial police chief, at the press conference.

Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said on his official social media account that there were no clashes between fans of the rival teams during the match, as fans of Persebaya, the winning team, were not allowed to attend the match in the stadium.