174 dead, a new death toll from a stampede in a soccer stadium in Indonesia.. Infantino: a tragedy beyond imagination
The death toll from a stampede in a soccer stadium in the Indonesian province of East Java has risen to 174, an official told local Indonesian television.
Amir Dardaq, the provincial deputy governor, told Kompas TV that 174 people died after police fired tear gas while thousands of fans invaded the pitch.
The host team (Arima FC) had just lost 2-3 in the match against Persibaya Surabaya at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang when the disaster struck.
Meanwhile, Bodhi Santoso, head of the regional civil protection authority, said at least 174 people were killed and more than 300 injured, some seriously.
The death toll rose steadily over the course of Sunday.
The riots also spread outside the stadium.
He added in a statement that eight vehicles were burnt and severely damaged parts of the stadium.
Eyewitnesses told local television that the police chased the spectators who stormed the pitch, and forced them to return to the stands.
The president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, offered his condolences to the families of the victims.
"I am deeply shocked and saddened to hear this tragic news from football-loving Indonesia," he said in a statement.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has ordered the Indonesian Football Association to temporarily suspend the Indonesian First Division until an evaluation and improvements are made.
"I express my regret over this tragedy and I hope this will be the last," he added.
He ordered an investigation.
Most of the victims died from lack of oxygen during a stampede after fans stormed the field at Kanjuruhan Stadium as hosts Arima Malang lost 3-2 to Persibaya Surabaya in East Java on Saturday night, police chief Nico Aventa said.
Commenting on the tragedy, Swiss-Italian FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement today that the stadium disaster in Indonesia is "a tragedy beyond imagination."
He added that "the world of football is in shock after the tragic events in Indonesia" and spoke of a "black day for all football lovers".
Infantino expressed his "deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims who lost their lives."
"Together with FIFA and the football community, our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, the injured and to the people of the Republic of Indonesia, the AFC, the Indonesian Federation and the League in these difficult times," he said.
The Spanish Football League announced a minute's silence in the stadiums before Sunday's league matches in honor of the victims of the disaster, while the Italian Serie A club expressed on its Twitter account its "condolences to the victims, their families and everyone affected by the Malang tragedy."
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