At least 131 people have died after a riot broke out at a football match in Indonesia, local officials have said.
Riots broke out at a stadium in East Java following a game between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya FC on Saturday evening.
Persebaya Surabaya won the game 3-2 causing Arema FC fans to storm the pitch after the loss.
Bottles and other objects were reportedy thrown at players and football officials as the swell of people left the stands.
🇮🇩 | URGENTE: Al menos 127 muertos y cerca de 200 heridos enfrentamientos en Indonesia en la que se considera la peor tragedia en un estadio de fútbol de la historia. pic.twitter.com/MYllmOnmlq
— Alerta News 24 (@AlertaNews24) October 2, 2022
Police then intervened and fired tear gas into the crowd in order to stop the clashes.
Images showed people lying on unconscious on the field and overturned police vehicles.
The rioting then spread outside the stadium where at least five police vehicles were overturned and set on fire amid the chaos.
Some people suffocated and others were trampled as hundreds ran to the exit in an effort to avoid the tear gas. In the chaos, 34 died at the stadium, including two officers, reports state.
East Java police chief Nico Afinta said in a news conference early on Sunday: "We have already done a preventive action before finally firing the tear gas as (fans) began to attack the police, acting anarchically and burning vehicles."
More than 300 people were rushed to nearby hospitals but many died on the way and during treatment, Mr Afinta said.
Indonesia's football association, known as PSSI, has suspended the premier league Liga 1 indefinitely in light of the tragedy and banned Arema from hosting matches for the remainder of the season.
Ferli Hidayat, local police chief of Malang, said there were some 42,000 spectators at Saturday's game eventhough the satdium is supposed to hold 38,000.
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.
