At least 127 killed after riot breaks out at football match

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: At least 127 people have been killed after a riot at a football match in Indonesia. The violence broke out at a stadium in East Java during a game between Arema and Persebaya Surabaya. Chaos broke out after Persebaya Surabaya won 3-2 – and according to local reports, thousands of Arema fans went on to the pitch after their team lost.

It is also claimed that several Arema players who were still on the field at the time were attacked.

In what appears to be one of the world’s worst stadium disasters, more than 300 people were rushed to nearby hospitals, but many died on the way or in treatment.

East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta said about 180 people are injured, but many of them are in a deteriorating condition.

It is believed a stampede began when the police fired tear gas into the crowd. A local health official said many of the victims died of “chaos, overcrowding, trampling and suffocation”.

Two of those killed at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang are reportedly police officers.

FIFA regulations state that no firearms or “crowd control gas” should be carried or used by the police.

Indonesia’s chief security minister, Mahfud MD, has said on social media that the stadium was filled beyond capacity.

While the sporting venue is only supposed to hold 38,000 people, he claimed 42,000 tickets had been issued.

Indonesia’s football league has now been suspended for a week, with Arema banned from hosting matches for the rest of the season. Further sanctions could follow.

There have been previous outbreaks of trouble at matches in Indonesia, with a strong rivalry between clubs sometimes sparking violence between supporters.

The chair of the country’s football association, Mochamad Iriawan, has apologised to families of the victims.

He added that the incident “really tarnishes the face of Indonesian football“.

More than a dozen vehicles were set alight within the grounds of the stadium, and many of them were police cars.