125 Dead After Crush at Indonesia Football Stadium Riots
Indonesia saw one of the world’s worst ever stadium disasters a few days ago following a massive riot and crush incident at a domestic football match. The tragic events have made national headlines around the world, and the shocking images reveal the chaos that ensued on the field, and later spilling over into the over-crowded terraces where hordes of fans tried to escape the excruciating sensation of tear gas being fired upon them by armed riot-police.
Riot police from the Indonesian forces were deployed inside the stadium – firing tear gas upon the crowds – an act that many have highlighted as the direct cause for the crushes and subsequent tragedy. ©Hubert2T/Pixabay
At least 125 have been confirmed to have lost their lives and hundreds have been injured in the aftermath of the incident at the Arema FC stadium on Saturday in Malang, a city in east Java. FIFA have issued a statement that highlights the rules around policing at football matches, stating that under no circumstances should crowd control gas be used inside football stadiums. They went on to conclude that the incident is an incomprehensible tragedy for the entire football community, and that this will be a dark-day that lives long in the memory of everyone involved in the sport of football.
The criticisms for the actions taken by the police have been severe, and specifically highlight the recklessness of firing tear gas at crowds of people in a confined space. To make matters even more catastrophic, the exit funnels for the stadium are designed poorly, leaving very little room for large groups to move through so quickly. Moreover, certain exits were completely locked from the outside. The combination of all these factors led to a deadly set of circumstances where fans where trying to break walls and doors down to escape the tear gas.
Video footage from the game showed fans invading the pitch after the home team lost 2-3 in the local derby match. The police responded by firing tear gas at the pitch. Lifeless bodies can be seen and the whole situation is nothing but apocalyptic. The Indonesian Football Association has ordered a halt to all domestic matches whilst the investigation into Saturday’s incident is brought forward.
One of the World’s Worst Ever Football Disasters
The situation within the ground at the fulltime whistle can only be described as incredibly tense. There were fans completely enraged with the performance of the home team who felt the urge to clamber the fences and confront players on the pitch. That’s when the chaos ensued, these first pitch invaders were violently intercepted by police and beaten – following that a series of bangs can be heard, as police started firing tear gas at large sections of the stadium where pitch invaders were emerging from.
As police tried to regain control of the chaos, more fans emerged onto the pitch. What unfolded can only be described as a riot of epic proportions; police vans were flipped and burned out, bricks were hurled at the police, players were clambering through crowds to try and make it off the pitch – and hundreds of fans were suffocated in mass surges to the exits. Children, and women of all ages were unfortunately too caught up in the catastrophe.
Outside the stadium the situation was equally bad. The rage had spilled over onto the streets, and rioters took it upon themselves to display their anger and disdain for the careless acts of law enforcement demonstrated inside the stadium. More police cares have been tossed upside down, and fires burned high in the middle of the roads. The atmosphere was incredible violent, and the video footage capturing the evolution of the chaos is shocking to view.
This disaster at the Arema FC stadium will go down as one of the biggest tragedies ever throughout the sport of football. 125 lives and counting as scores of injured people still fight for their lives in hospitals. How Indonesian football can move on from this incident remains completely unknown – and the anger in the country over the handling of the chaos by police grows ever louder. As the investigations begin, one can only hope that the perpetrators are brought before a jury to answer for their actions, and the victims of this disaster receive some solace in the justice they are duly deserving of.
