At least 120 killed in football riots in Indonesia | Abroad

AP news agency speaks of 127 dead, including two police officers. The local authorities in Malang confirm that more than 120 people have been killed. They were, among other things, overrun or oppressed in the chaos. A final number of victims will be announced at a later date, authorities said.

Nearly two hundred people are being treated in hospitals. News site tvOne showed images showing dozens of people in hospitals waiting for help. There are also images of fire damage on the stands and the field of the stadium in Malang.

The riots are said to have started after a match between the clubs Arema FC from Malang and Persebaya Surabaya from Surabaya. After the match, which the club from Malang lost 2-3, thousands of supporters of both teams stormed the field. Several players from the Arema club were attacked. The Persebaya players had already left the field.

Police used tear gas to disperse the fans, causing panic. According to police, 34 people died in the crowding on the field. The others later died in hospitals.

Arema and Persebaya Surabaya play in the top division of Indonesian football, the Liga 1, and are considered arch-rivals. All matches in the division have been suspended for a week and the national football association PSSI has announced that it will be investigating what exactly happened.

Sports Minister Zainudin Amali said he wants stricter security rules around football matches and to study the possibility of games being played without an audience. Police in East Java said they advised only supporters of the home team before Saturday’s game. This is due to the great rivalry between the two clubs. It is not known why that advice was not followed.