JAKARTA: Thousands of fans stormed the pitch during a football match in the Indonesian city of Malang as police fired tear gas to disperse them, triggering a stampede that left 174 dead and many injured.
Arima FC supporters stormed the pitch after Arima FC lost 3-2 to visiting team and bitter rivals Persiba Surabaya at Kanjurohan Stadium last night.
BREAKING: More than 100 people died after a riot broke out at an Liga 1 football match between Arema and Persebaya at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, Indonesia pic.twitter.com/YsDWQfbkRZ
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The police, on the other hand, said that they tried hard to get the fans back into the stands while tear gas was fired after two officials were killed.
According to the police, many of the victims were trampled or strangled to death. East Java police chief Niko Afenta said many people died from suffocation as they rushed out of the stadium together to leave.
He initially said that a total of 127 people had been killed, but later that number rose to 174, with scores of people injured.
Photos taken from inside the stadium during the stampede showed large amounts of tear gas and people climbing over fences. People were taking injured spectators to the hospital during the chaos.
