Aftermath of Worst Football Tragedy in 21st Century
Hegi S. Al Qabid
IDNAround – Indonesian football communities are still mourning the horrific post-football match incident that killed at least 131 people at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in the East Java town of Malang last weekend.
President Joko Widodo ordered a thorough safety audit of all major stadiums as he visited injured victims at a local hospital on Wednesday, and promised that the government will shoulder all medical costs and compensate the families of the dead.
The incident began when thousands of fans of the home team Arema Football Club invaded the pitch after their team was defeated by arch-rival Persebaya Surabaya.
Security officials made a terrible decision by using tear gas to control the crowd in grandstands, forcing them to run in panic to the exits. Most of the victims died from suffocation and in the stampede during the chaos that followed, as thick tear gas blanketed them, health officials have said.
According to an estimate, at least 42,000 people attended the match in the stadium.
The government has set up a fact-finding team to find the true case of the fatal incident and prevent future recurrence.
Friends and family members pray at the grave of police officer Fajar Yoyok Pujiono in Trenggalek, East Java, on Oct. 2, 2022. The officer was among at least 131 people who died during post-match clashes between fans and security officials at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang a day earlier. (Antara Photo)Three players of Arema Football Club pray at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in the East Java town of Malang on Oct. 3, 2022, paying tribute to at least 131 people who died during post-match clashes between fans and security officials in the stadium two days earlier. (Antara Photo)Arema Football Club players and officials strew flowers at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in the East Java town of Malang on Oct. 3, 2022, paying tribute to at least 131 people who died during post-match clashes between fans and security officials in the stadium two days earlier. (Antara Photo)President Joko Widodo inspects the Kanjuruhan Stadium in the East Java town of Malang on Oct. 5, 2022, four days after post-match clashes between fans and security officials that killed at least 131 people in the stadium. (Photo courtesy of the Presidential Press Bureau)A man strews flowers near the Kanjuruhan Stadium in the East Java town of Malang on October 2, 2022, to pay tribute to the victims of a riot involving Arema Football Club supporters that killed at least 174 people a day earlier. (Antara Photo/Zabur Karuru)Indonesian Football Association (PSSI)’s disciplinary committee chairman Erwin Tobing, left, inspects the Kanjuruhan Stadium in the East Java town of Malang on Oct. 3, 2022. (Antara Photo)A car is overtuned and burned down during a riot by Arema Football Club supporters following the team s defeat to visiting Persebaya Surabaya at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in the East Java town of Malang on October 1, 2022. (Antara Photo/Bowo Sucipto)Angry fans of Arema Football Club rush into the pitch at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, shortly after a match between the home team and Persebaya Surabaya on October 1, 2022. (Antara Photo)Police use tear gas to prevent Arema Football Club supporters from invading the pitch following a match with visiting Persebaya Surabaya at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in the East Java town of Malang on October 1, 2022. (Antara Photo/Bowo Sucipto)
