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The Football Association of Indonesia has banned two officials from Arema FC for life after a stadium riot that killed at least 125 people. The club was also fined 250 million rupiahs ($25,2000) as stated by Erwin Tobing, the head of the association's discipline committee in a news conference.
The Indonesian league football fixture was between Javanese rival clubs Arema and Persebaya Surabaya where the Singo Edan suffered a 3-2 defeat in Malang Regency, East Java. The Arema supporters invaded the pitch and authorities fired tear gas, which caused a crowd stampede and cases of suffocation, as per East Java’s police chief, Nico Afinta.
Thirty-four people died in the Kanjuruhan stadium and the rest while in hospital, and 180 were injured, he said. In all these deaths, two police officers also lost their lives. According to local reports, up to 3,000 audience members jumped on the field, out of a crowd of 40,000. Police said 13 vehicles were damaged, including 10 police cars. Images from the stadium during the stampede showed huge amounts of tear gas and people climbing over fences. People were carrying injured spectators through the chaos.
The Indonesian government released a statement regarding the disaster and promised to investigate its circumstances. “We’re sorry for this incident ... this is a regrettable incident that ‘injures’ our football at a time when supporters can watch football matches from the stadium,” the Indonesian sports and youth minister, Zainudin Amali told broadcaster Kompas. "We will thoroughly evaluate the organisation of the match and the attendance of supporters. Will we return to banning supporters from attending the matches? That is what we will discuss.”
During the closing moments of the derby, a 29-year-old spectator Ahmad Nizar Habibi said that he had a sense that things were taking a bad turn. "I wanted to leave, but suddenly I heard explosions," he said, describing rounds of tear gas fired as Saturday's night-time match ended and fans invaded the field, angered by the home team's loss. We couldn't see. Fans were screaming and we couldn't breathe."