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.