Oct 03,2022:Seventeen children were among at least 125 people killed in a football stampede in Indonesia at the weekend, local reports say, as pressure builds to explain how one of the world’s worst stadium disasters unfolded.
Violence and hooliganism have long been features of Indonesian football, especially in places such as the capital Jakarta, but Saturday’s disaster in a small town in Java has thrown a spotlight on the problem.
The boys were among 17 children killed, state news agency Antara reported, citing figures from the women’s empowerment and child protection ministry.
“Seventeen children died and seven were treated, but there is a possibility that could increase,” Nahar, a ministry official, was quoted as saying.
Saturday’s fatal stampede came as panicking spectators tried to escape the allegedly overpacked stadium after police fired tear gas to disperse fans who ran onto the pitch at the end of the match.
The incident was a “dark day for all involved”, said world football’s governing body FIFA, which has called for a report on the incident from Indonesian authorities.
FIFA’s safety regulations say firearms or “crowd control gas” should not be used at matches.
Police and sport officials have been sent to the city of Malang to investigate the incident, which ranks among the world’s deadliest stadium disasters.
