Indonesia : At least 125 people were killed and scores were injured at a football stadium in Indonesia after thousands of fans invaded the pitch and police fired teargas that caused a panic, authorities said on Sunday.
The tragedy on Saturday night in the eastern city of Malang is one of the world’s deadliest sporting stadium disasters. Indonesian officials initially reported that 174 people had died but later revised the death toll to 125, saying some victims were counted twice.
Arema FC supporters at the Kanjuruhan Stadium took to the pitch late on Saturday after their team lost 3-2 to visitors and bitter rivals, Persebaya Surabaya.
Police, who described the unrest as rioting, said they tried to persuade fans to return to the stands and fired teargas after two officers were killed. Many of the victims were trampled or choked to death, according to police.
The use of teargas in stadiums is banned by Fifa, football’s world governing body.
