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Stormed field, tear gas turn soccer match into deadly stampede
Survivors and families recall how thousands of fans stormed the playing field and police responded with tear gas, triggering a stampede in Malang, East Java.
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A police officer sets up a cordon next to a torched vehicle outside Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, on Oct. 2. At least 125 people were killed on Oct. 1 when frustrated fans invaded the stadium’s playing field and police fired tear gas into the crowd. (AFP/Putri)
R
ezqi Wahyu, a lifelong fan of Arema FC, was among the thousands of spectators who packed into Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang regency, East Java, on Saturday, eager to support Malang’s local club in a match against bitter rival Persebaya Surabaya.
There, he witnessed a sporting tragedy that resulted in the death of 125 people.
Rezqi said the match had initially been orderly. But as the final whistle blew, with Arema taking a 3-2 loss, some spectators stormed the playing field.
“As more [fans] began to [invade the field] from various sides of the stadium to vent their disappointment to the players, the condition in the stadium became chaotic,” Rezqi said on Twitter on Sunday.
Others began throwing objects onto the field. In response, authorities escorted the players into the stadium’s locker rooms.
The situation took a turn for the worse, Rezqi said, when police began to hit fans on the playing field with batons and shields while also firing tear gas canisters into the stands.
“Every corner of the stadium was filled with tear gas [...]. The spectators, who began to panic, became more chaotic. They ran to the exit, but it was blocked,” Rezqi said. “There were a lot of women and children who were stuck and helpless.”
