JAKARTA | 32 children are among 125 people killed in the deadly stampede at a stadium this weekend, Indonesian authorities said on Monday, calling for sanctions on those responsible for one of the worst tragedies in football history.
• Also read: Indonesian police under fire after stadium tragedy
• Also read: [EN VIDÉO] A soccer game turns tragic: 125 dead after a riot
“According to the latest data we have, 32 out of 125 deceased are children, the youngest of whom is a child aged two or three,” Nahar, an official with the Ministry of Women and Youth Affairs, told AFP. Child protection.
The deadly mass movement also injured more than 300 people, some of whom are between life and death in hospitals in the city of Malang, east of the island of Java.
The minister in charge of security, Mahfud MD, asked the Indonesian police to “identify” the people who “committed the crimes” and said that “action must be taken against them”.
“We call on the national police to find the perpetrators of the crimes in the coming days,” he said in a televised statement.
The drama that unfolded on Saturday night began when fans of local team Arema FC took to the pitch at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang on Saturday night after their team lost 3-2 to neighboring city of Persebaya, Surabaya.
Police responded with volleys of tear gas in the crowded stands at the stadium, which held 42,000 people and was full, authorities said.
Onlookers then rushed en masse to narrow doors, where many were kicked and choked, witnesses said.
Police, two of whom were killed in the tragedy, described the incident as a “riot,” but survivors accuse it of overreacting and causing the deaths of dozens of bystanders, including a five-year-old child.
“One of our messages is that the authorities are investigating this (drama) thoroughly. And we demand accountability. Who should be convicted?” said Andika, who did not want to give his last name.
“We demand justice for our missing fans,” the 25-year-old Malang football fan demanded.
National Police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said investigators were analyzing CCTV footage from inside the stadium to “identify suspects who carried out demolitions”.
They were also scheduled to question 18 police officers Monday who are suspected of “using or carrying weapons,” he added at a news conference, referring to tear gas canisters.
The president of Malang football club apologized in tears on television on Monday.
“As president of the Arema FC club, I take full responsibility for the incidents that have occurred. I deeply apologize to the victims, their families, Indonesians and “Liga 1”, the local premier league, said Gilang Widya Pramana.
Dressed in black T-shorts, the team visited the scene of the tragedy on Monday to pay their respects to the victims and lay flowers before gathering at the site for prayer.
Request for an independent investigation
Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced an investigation into the mass movement on Sunday, but human rights groups are demanding it be conducted independently and that police be held accountable for the use of tear gas in confined spaces.
“We call on the authorities to immediately conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the use of tear gas in the stadium and to ensure those perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice,” Amnesty International said in a statement.
“These losses of life cannot go unanswered,” the NGO added.
Human Rights Watch has asked FIFA to conduct its own investigation and make it public.
Minister Mahfud MD said that members of the investigative commission will be selected in the next 24 hours and that they will be in particular government officials, analysts, representatives of the football world, media and universities.
Authorities will announce the results of the investigation as soon as possible, he said, estimating that “the mission could be completed in the next two or three weeks.”
Fury
Anger at authorities mounted on Monday, particularly online, as new information emerged about the circumstances surrounding the stampede.
“There were fans who died in the arms of the players,” Javier Roca, Chilean coach of Indonesian club Arema, told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser on Sunday. “I think the police have gone too far,” he added.
Fan violence is a long-standing problem in Indonesia, where club rivalries have often resulted in deadly clashes.
Persebaya Surabaya fans were not allowed to buy tickets for Saturday’s game for fear of incidents.
The President of the International Football Association (Fifa), Gianni Infantino, described the tragedy as “a tragedy beyond imagining”.