Watch: As many as 129 people killed as a stampede breaks out during a domestic football game in Indonesia

Indonesia football (Source: Twitter)

Approximately 129 people lost their lives during a stampede in Malang, Indonesia on October 1, Saturday. The unfortunate incident took place during a domestic game between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya, which the latter won 3-2 at Arema's home ground. The football fans, who were disappointed with the defeat, barged into the ground and triggered a stampede. 

There were about 3,000 fans who invaded the pitch and also killed two cops in the process. East Java police chief Nico Antifa said that most of them lost their lives due to choking and crushing, and also when they rushed to an exit after the stampede. “We would like to convey that... not all of them were anarchic. Only about 3,000 entered the pitch,” Antifa was quoted as saying in the Times of India. 

Indonesia’s coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, Mahfud MD, said that the government will conduct a full investigation of the incident. Further, he revealed that 42,000 tickets were printed contrary to the initial allowance of 38,000 by the government. 

“The government has made improvements to the implementation of football matches... and will continue to improve. But this sport, which is a favourite of the wider community, often provokes supporters to express emotions suddenly,” Mahfud said on his Instagram post. 

Watch the video here:

#WATCH | At least 127 people died after violence at a football match in Indonesia, last night. The deaths occurred when angry fans invaded a football pitch after a match in East Java

(Video source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/j7Bet6f9mE

— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2022

Death toll likely to increase in Indonesia riots case

The cops fear that there could be a possibility of an increase in death tolls. However, many people have hit the streets already in protest and are blaming the cops for the unfortunate incident. 

#Breaking: Just in - Reports that protests are breaking out near a police station in #Indonesia, after people found out that riot police tear gassed 127 people to death between a football match of Arema and Persebaya. pic.twitter.com/7SrRRUI95S

— Sotiri Dimpinoudis (@sotiridi) October 1, 2022

Indonesia’s Sports and Youth minister Zainudin Amali regretted the incident and assured of preventing such incidents in the future. “This is a regrettable incident that 'injures' our football at a time when supporters can watch football matches from the stadium. We will thoroughly evaluate the organisation of the match and the attendance of supporters. Will we return to banning supporters from attending the matches? That is what we will discuss,” he said after the incident.  In addition to that, the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) banned the BRI Liga 1 matches for the next week.