Indonesia: At least 174 died, about 180 injured in stampede at football match

In Indonesia, at least 174 people have died and about 180 were injured in a stampede at a football match. The stampede happened after chaos and violence erupted following an Indonesian league soccer match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya in East Java on Saturday night.

In a Press Conference, Police Chief, Nico Afinta said, supporters of losing team Arema FC invaded the pitch and police fired tear gas, triggering a stampede which led to cases of suffocation. The number of spectators exceeded the stadium’s stated capacity of 38,000 by around 4,000 people.

Indonesian, Sports and Youth Minister, Zainudin Amali said he has asked for a full investigation into the tragedy to determine the parties responsible. President Joko Widodo has ordered that all matches in Indonesia’s top league must be stopped until the investigation concluded.