| Translate This News In |
|---|
Panic at an Indonesian soccer match after police used tear gas to break up brawls killed 129 people, most of whom were trampled to death, police said Sunday. Several fights were reported between supporters of the two rival soccer teams inside the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java province, after the Indonesian Premier League game ended with Persebaya Surabaya defeating Arema Malang 3-2.
East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta claims that the brawls that broke out soon after the game ended late Saturday night caused alarm among the crowd. To get away from the tear gas, hundreds of people hurried to an exit gate. 34 persons were killed nearly instantaneously, some from asphyxia and others from being crushed.
More than 300 people were rushed to nearby hospitals to be treated for injuries, but many died on the way and during treatment, according to Afinta. He predicted that the death toll would rise further because the conditions of many of the approximately 180 injured victims were deteriorating.
