The events on Saturday from Malang stadium were horrific, a scene out of the worst kind of apocalyptic movie, a surreal scene that left 125 spectators dead and a lot of questions at the protocol used at the stadium.
The result of the incidents on Saturday is among the world’s worst crowd disasters in sports history. The death toll surpassed the incidents in 1996 in Guatemala where 80 fans died before a World Cup qualifying match and in 2012 in Egypt where 74 people lost their lives in a derby between al-Masry and al-Ahly.
The AP reported on the statement made by the Indonesian police who as a result of the disaster has fired one police chief and nine elite officers while 18 others are under investigation for firing tear gas inside the stadium.
Indonesian police report on Malang stadium massacre
Police spokesperson Dedi Prasetyo stated that the gates of the stadium were unlocked but could only exit two people at a time which made it virtually impossible for a massive escape. “For those six gates, they were not closed but they were too small. They had a capacity for two people but there were hundreds coming out. There was a crush there,” Prasetyo said.
Malang stadium ( The Straits Times)
The poor accommodations for any type of disaster are the responsibility of the organizers according to Prasetyo. The chaos began when some of the 42,000 home fans in the stadium ran onto the pitch after the home team was defeated 3-2. Objects were thrown at police on the field and the authorities retaliated.
