Indonesian government today ordered police to identify and punish those who were responsible for football stadium tragedy that left 125 people dead. The tragic incident has increased anger nationwide over one of the deadliest disasters in the country’s history of football.
The Saturday night tragedy in the Malang city of Java province also saw 323 people injured when cops fired tear gas in a jam-packed stadium to control fans’ invasion on ground which caused the deadliest stampede.
“We ask the national police to find the perpetrators who have committed crimes in the next few days,” Indonesia’s chief security minister Mahfud MD said in a broadcast statement.
He said, “We asked them to unveil who has perpetrated the crimes and that action must be taken against them and we also hope the National Police will evaluate their security procedures.”
The incident unfolded when fans of home team Arema FC stormed the football ground after their lost match by 3-2 to bitter rivals Persebaya Surabaya.
Police responded by launching volleys of tear gas into packed terraces, prompting spectators to rush en masse to small gates where many were trampled or suffocated, according to witnesses.
