Indonesia Football Stadium Disaster, Even a 3-Year-Old Child Died

32 Children and Adolescents Confirmed Dead
Total Injured Exceeds 320
Central Government Discloses Death Toll for the First Time

Police fired tear gas to suppress fans who rushed onto the field. Startled by the sound of the shots, the crowd tried to exit all at once, resulting in a large-scale crush accident. Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Juri] Among the 125 fatalities in the football stadium disaster that occurred on the 1st in East Java Province, Indonesia (local time), it is reported that 32 were children and adolescents.

According to local media and foreign news outlets such as Antara News Agency and the daily Kompas on the 3rd, Listyo Sigit Prabowo, Chief of Police, stated in a briefing the previous night that the death toll from the disaster was 125, and the number of injured exceeded 320.

Also on the same day, the Indonesian Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection reported that at least 32 of the deceased were children and adolescents under 17 years old, with the youngest victim being a 3 to 4-year-old toddler.

A football stadium in East Java, Indonesia, where the tragedy occurred [Image source=Yonhap News]

The disaster occurred on the night of the 1st at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java Province. During the football match between the home team Arema FC and the visiting team Persebaya Surabaya, Surabaya won 3-2, and fans of the defeated Arema rushed onto the field.

The police responded by firing tear gas. Startled by the sound of the shots, the spectators tried to exit all at once, resulting in a large-scale stampede.

Human rights organizations criticized the police for violating regulations by firing tear gas. According to the regulations of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), police can be deployed to maintain public order in the stadium, but the use of firearms or tear gas is prohibited.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo stated in a statement the previous day that he instructed Chief of Police Prabowo to thoroughly investigate the incident. The Indonesian Human Rights Commission also said it plans to investigate the incident, including the use of tear gas. Additionally, the government will form a joint investigation team on the same day to conduct a separate investigation from the police over 2 to 3 weeks.