Indonesia police suspect officers, others liable over fatal stampede
Indonesian police said Thursday they are investigating six people, including a soccer club operator and three policemen, on suspicion of negligence that caused the deaths of 131 people and injuries to nearly 500 others in last week’s crowd stampede at a soccer match.
The riot occurred after Arema FC from East Java Province’s Malang was beaten by its rival Persebaya from the provincial capital of Surabaya, prompting a number of angry Arema supporters to invade the pitch and chase after Persebaya players and officials.
National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo said that the suspects include the president of a soccer club operator, the head of a soccer match organizer and a security officer of the organizer. They are suspected of failing to ensure the safety of spectators of the match at the Malang stadium.
Police fired tear gas canisters into the overpacked stadium, causing the spectators to scramble for a way out. Many of the victims died near gates, according to local police.
The head of the match organizer sold 42,000 tickets, far exceeding the stadium’s capacity of 38,000, according to Listyo.
One of the policemen was aware of the stadium safety regulations stipulated by FIFA, the world soccer body, that ban use of firearms and tear gas. But he failed to prevent his colleagues from firing the gas, the national police chief said.