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A stampede at a soccer stadium in Indonesia has killed at least 125 people and injured more than 320 after police used tear gas to quell a pitch invasion, authorities said on Sunday, in one of the world’s worst stadium disasters.
Officers fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse agitated supporters of the losing home side who had invaded the pitch after the final whistle in Malang, East Java, on Saturday night, the region’s police chief Nico Afintatold reporters.
“It had gotten anarchic. They started attacking officers, they damaged cars,” Nico said, adding that the crush occurred when fans fled for an exit gate.
World soccer’s governing body FIFA specifies in its safety regulations that no fire- arms or “crowd control gas” should be carried or used by stewards or police.
Meanwhile, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has described the tragedy as a “dark day” for football.
“The football world is in a state of shock following the tragic incidents that have taken place in Indonesia,” Infantino said.
“This is a dark day for all involved in football and a tragedy beyond comprehension.”
Infantino added: “I extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the
victims who lost their lives following this tragic incident. “Together with Fifa and the global football community, all our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, those who have been injured, together with the people of the Republic of Indonesia, the Asian Football Confederation, the Indonesian Football Association, and the Indonesian Football League, at this difficult time.”
