At least 125 other people have been killed at a soccer match in Indonesia, most of them trampled on after police fired tear gas in one of the world’s worst sporting disasters.
Violence erupted at the end of the match in Malang, East Java, where host Arema lost 3-2 to Persebaya Surabaya.
Angered by their team’s first home loss to the rival club in 23 years, thousands of Arema enthusiasts stormed the pitch and threw bottles and missiles at players and football officials.
The clashes spread outside the stadium where at least five police cars were overturned and set on fire.
Riot police responded by firing tear gas into the stadium stands, sparking panic in the crowd.
Tear gas is banned in football stadiums through FIFA’s governing body.
Some others were suffocated and others trampled as charges raced toward the exit in an attempt to escape the chemical.
The children were reportedly the victims.
Previously, the number of other people killed was 174, but that number has now dropped to 125, police said. All victims have been identified.
East Java police chief Nico Afinta told a news conference: “We have already taken preventive measures before, despite everything, throwing tear gas when (fans) started attacking police, acting illegally and setting cars on fire. “
More than three hundred more people were taken to nearby hospitals, but many died along the way and treatment, Afta said.
He said the death toll is likely to rise, as many of the wounded and treated deteriorated. The most recent number of injured is 323.
Grieving relatives waited for loved ones in hospitals and others tried to identify bodies deposited in a morgue.
Indonesia’s football association, known as PSSI, suspended the Premier League indefinitely in light of the tragedy and banned Arema from playing for the rest of the season.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo expressed his condolences.
“I deeply feel this tragedy and hope this is the last football tragedy in this country. Let us not allow another human tragedy like this to happen in the future,” he said.
“We will have to continue to uphold the Indonesian nation’s sportsmanship, humanity and sense of brotherhood. “
He ordered the sports minister, the national police leader and the PSSI president to conduct a thorough investigation into the attack and its security measures.
Indonesian Sports Minister Zainudin Amali also lamented that “this tragedy happened while we were in football activities, both nationally and internationally. “
Indonesia is preparing to host the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, with the participation of 24 groups.
As host, the country qualifies for the cup.
“Unfortunately, this incident has broken the symbol of our football,” M. Amali.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the world of football was “in shock”.
He said: “This is a dark day for everyone in football and a tragedy beyond comprehension.
“I offer my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims who lost their lives as a result of this tragic incident. “
Malang police leader Ferli Hidayat said there were about 42,000 spectators at Saturday’s match, all of whom were Arema enthusiasts because the organiser had banned Persebaya enthusiasts from entering the stadium to cause trouble.
Vandalism is rampant in football-obsessed Indonesia, where fanaticism ends in violence, as evidenced by the 2018 death of a Persija Jakarta fan who was killed by a mob of stalwart enthusiasts of rival club Persib Bandung.
Justinus Lhaksana, former coach of Indonesia’s national futsal team, told Sky News: “This is not the first time we have had fatalities. But usually it’s one or two more people who die after a game. “
“I’m very unhappy that the right solution wasn’t discovered long before this happened. “
Lhaksana says Indonesian enthusiasts enter the camp “almost every weekend,” and such disruptions have been going on for years.
“It’s not a clash between two rivalries, it’s just a clash between disappointed enthusiasts and the police. “
Saturday’s adjustment is among the world’s worst football blunders, joining Hillsborough, which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans.
Several British clubs, including Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, have spoken out about the latest tragedy.