Panic at a soccer game in Indonesia after police fired tear gas to stop a scuffle that left 129 people dead, most of them trampled to death, police said Sunday.
Several scuffles between supporters of two rival teams were reported inside Kanjuruhan Stadium in the city of Malang in East Java province after the Indonesian Premier League match ended with Persebaya Surabaya beating Arema Malang with the score 3-2.
East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta said scuffles broke out shortly after the match ended late on Saturday night prompting riot police to fire tear gas, spooking supporters, police said. East Java chief Nico Afinta said.
Hundreds of people ran to an exit gate to try to avoid tear gas. Some were suffocated in the chaos and others were trampled, killing 34 people almost instantly.
More than 300 people were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, but many died along the way and during treatment, Afinta said.
He said the death toll was likely still rising, as the condition of many of the approximately 180 injured victims was deteriorating.
