Indonesian soccer match stampede leaves 125 D***

2 years ago
5

At least 125 fans have been killed at a soccer match in Indonesia after police fired tear gas, causing chaotic scenes where fans were trampled upon and suffocated, making it one of the deadliest sports events in history.

The death toll was previously confirmed to be 174, but local authorities reduced the number, saying some victims were counted twice.

Attention immediately focused on the police use of tear gas, and witnesses described that police beat them with sticks and shields before shooting canisters directly into the crowds.

The president of FIFA called the deaths at the stadium "a dark day for all involved in football and a tragedy beyond comprehension," while President Joko Widodo ordered an investigation of security procedures. While FIFA has no control over domestic games, it has advised against the use of tear gas at soccer stadiums.

Saturday's game is already among the world's worst crowd disasters, including the 1996 World Cup qualifier between Guatemala and Costa Rica in Guatemala City where over 80 died and over 100 more were injured. In April 2001, more than 40 people are crushed to death during a soccer match at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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