Sunday | October 2, 2022

A stampede has claimed at least 130 lives in a football match stadium in Indonesia on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported.

CNN said that unrest broke out between the “supporters of Arema FC and rival Persebaya Surabaya clashed after home team Arema FC was defeated 3-2 at a match in the city of Malang in East Java”.

It further reported that a mole-like tear gas was seen in the stadium featuring the country’s biggest football clubs. Quoting East Java police chief Nico Afinta, CNN and Al Jazeera stated that football fans of the losing team had “invaded” the pitch and police fired tear gas” which led to chaos, followed by a stampede.

The President of Indonesia Joko Widodo has ordered an investigation to prove the cause of the stampede. Moreover, he suspended all matches until proper measures to ensure safety were put in place. The implication is that football will only resume after improvements have been made.

According to AL Jazeera, the stampede was caused by pitch invasion and matters got worse when security officers sprayed tear gas in the stadium. Scores of people are reported injured and are receiving medical attention. Reports suggest that pitch invasions are a norm in Indonesia.