It was after a match in the country's top division Liga 1 between Arema and Persebaya Surabaya last Saturday night that violence broke out.
The home team Arema lost 2–3 and disgruntled supporters stormed the pitch after the final whistle, writes the Indonesian football association PSSI on its website.
According to the police, there were around 3,000 people who stormed the pitch and the latest official figures claim that at least 125 people died in the commotion that ensued afterwards.
Police dogs were released
One person who was in the arena and caught up in the chaos is Arema supporter Muthia.
- When the match ended, I saw three people enter the pitch.
They chased the Arema players to express their displeasure.
Not long after, other supporters entered the field.
It caused the police to release police dogs onto the field, which caused the Arema supporters to back away, she explains, and continues:
- But they got back on the field quite quickly.
All of a sudden - out of nowhere - they sprayed tear gas straight into the stands.
The supporters then fled towards the exits while the police continued to spray tear gas.
The situation was chaotic and it was difficult to breathe.
- In addition, it was difficult to see because of the gas.
Many fainted.
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Three questions about the stand tragedy in Indonesia - SVT's former Asia correspondent Niklas Sjögren answers.
"A Massacre"
A little over a day after the chaos at Kanjuruhan Stadium, Muthua still has irritated eyes and minor injuries to his knee.
In addition, she is mentally unwell.
- It's the first time I've seen a football match turn into a massacre.
I will never go to the arena again.
It was traumatic to see people die, she explains.
That sounds like a horrible experience. Were you scared yourself?
- Obvious.
I panicked even more when I heard so many people screaming.
There were many who called out for help to their loved ones.
I saw many die because they could not breathe.
What do you think is the main reason why it was such a big disaster?
- First and foremost because the police randomly threw tear gas at the supporters.
Secondly, I would say that the organizers did not prepare carefully enough for what might happen.
It was easy to predict that there would be chaos as the match was played between two big teams in East Java that have a long rivalry.
"The same thing can happen again"
The Indonesian league has now been paused for a week.
But Muthia is doubtful whether what has now happened will lead to any change.
- It is not the first time that the police have used tear gas, in 2012 it happened in Surabaya.
And it has now happened again in Malang, with more victims.
I think the same thing could happen again if they don't seriously change the way they work to calm people down, she muses, and continues:
- Unfortunately, the police in this country always choose violence first.
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Many of the dead were trampled to death according to the police.
Photo: Yudha Prabowo/EPA/TT