Indonesia: Riot after the match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya at the Kanjuruhan Stadium.(Twitter screengrab)

The death toll from panic at an Indonesian soccer match has risen to 174, the majority of whom were trampled to death after police fired tear gas to dispel riots Saturday, making it one of the world's deadliest sporting events.

Riots erupted after host Arema FC of East Java's Malang city lost 3-2 to Persebaya of Surabaya on Saturday evening.

Angry at their team's defeat, thousands of Arema fans, dubbed "Aremania," reacted by throwing bottles and other objects at players and soccer officials. According to witnesses, fans flooded the Kanjuruhan Stadium pitch in protest and demanded that Arema management explain why, after 23 years of undefeated home games, this match ended in a loss.

Outside the stadium, where the unrest had spread, at least five police cars had been overturned and set burning. Tear gas was fired by riot police in response, including toward the stadium's stands, which alarmed the crowd. FIFA forbids the use of tear gas in soccer stadiums.

tear gas use in stadium
Image Credit: WPRI

As hundreds of people rushed to the door in an effort to escape the tear gas, some choked to death and others were crushed underfoot. 34 people perished in the stadium as a result of the turmoil, including two officers and children, according to some sources.

East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta said at a press conference early on Sunday, "We have already done a preventive step before eventually launching the tear gas as (fans) began to attack the police, acting anarchically, and burning vehicles.

Image Credit: The Star

Injuries were treated by sending more than 300 people to local hospitals, but many of them passed away while being transported and being treated, according to Afinta.

In an interview with Kompas TV on Sunday, East Java's Vice Governor Emil Dardak stated that 174 people had died and that more than 100 injured individuals were receiving free, intensive care in eight hospitals, 11 of whom were in serious condition.

At Saiful Anwar General Hospital in Malang, grieving loved ones awaited news about their deaths. Others attempted to identify the bodies that were lying in a morgue.

In broadcast remarks on Sunday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo extended his sincere sympathies for the deceased.

Don't let another human tragedy like this occur in the future, Widodo said. "I profoundly regret this catastrophe and I hope this is the last soccer disaster in this country," he added. "We must continue to uphold good sportsmanship, humanity, and a sense of the Indonesian nation's fraternity."

He gave orders for a thorough examination of the nation's soccer match and its security protocol to be carried out by the Youth and Sports Minister, National Police Chief, and PSSI Chair.

Additionally, he gave PSSI the go-ahead to suspend Liga 1 until Liga 1 could be reviewed and security protocols were strengthened.

Image Credit: Stars and Stripes

The tragedy occurred as we were getting ready for soccer game activities at the national and international levels, said Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali.

24 teams will compete in the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will be held in Indonesia from May 20 to June 11. The nation automatically qualifies for the cup because it is the host.

Amali remarked, "Unfortunately, this episode has definitely damaged our soccer image.

The game on Saturday drew some 42,000 people, all of whom were Aremanias because the organiser forbade Persebaya supporters from entering the stadium in an effort to prevent fights, according to Ferli Hidayat, the local police chief of Malang.

The ban was put in place after fights between fans of the two rival soccer teams in East Java's Blitar stadium in February 2020 resulted in material losses totaling 250 million rupiah ($18,000). During and following the East Java Governor's Cup semifinal match, which saw Persebaya defeat Arema 4-2, fights were reported outside the stadium.

Despite Indonesia's lack of recognition in the sport on the world stage, hooliganism is rampant in the soccer-obsessed nation, where fervour frequently results in bloodshed, as in the case of a Persija Jakarta supporter who was slain by a mob of fervent Persib Bandung supporters in 2018.

The 1996 World Cup qualifier between Guatemala and Costa Rica in Guatemala City, when over 80 people perished and over 100 more were injured, is considered one of the worst crowd catastrophes in history, and Saturday's game is already on that list. At Ellis Park in Johannesburg, South Africa, a soccer match in April 2001 results in the deaths of more than 40 spectators.