A football game in Indonesia turned deadly Saturday night as security personnel clashed with soccer fans, prompting a stampede and leaving 125 dead with dozens of others injured, officials and eyewitnesses said.
Four people present at the game told The Washington Post that armed security officers in uniform discharged what seemed to be tear gas into the crowd randomly and directly, which caused panic. It was predicted that 42,000 people would attend the event.
Frustrated supporters of the losing home team invaded the pitch in Malang in the province of East Java late on Saturday. To control the situation, police officers fired tear gas which triggered the stampede and led to suffocation.
“I can still hear the voices of children calling for their mothers,” said Bima Andhika, 25, who escaped the stampede with his 14-year-old sister. His uncle and three of his neighbors are among the dead, he said.
A police spokesperson said 323 people were injured, up from the initial count of 180.
