Authorities used tear gas to quell the commotion at a football game in the Indonesian league as violence and a rush broke out. As a result, at least 129 people died and 180 were injured.
Fans of the two Javanese teams—longtime rivals—fought after Arema’s 3-2 defeat in the East Java match at Malang Regency.
East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta says that the fight between these rivals started right after the game ended late on a Saturday night. This forced the police to use tear gas, which scared the crowd.
According to reliable sources, numerous individuals rushed to an exit gate to escape the tear gas.During the chaos, suffocation, tripping, and other factors caused 34 people to die almost immediately.
More than 300 people, according to the East Java Police Chief, were transported by ambulance to nearby hospitals for treatment, but many of them died on the way or while receiving care.
Due to the deteriorating conditions of many of the approximately 180 injured people, Afinta was concerned that the death toll would rise further.
A police official later stated that 129 people had died in one of the deadliest athletic stadium accidents ever, including a 5-year-old.
The incident has hurt the Indonesian football association (PSSI)’s reputation within the football community and across sports in general.PSSI issued an apology for the incident and announced the beginning of investigations.