Indonesia stadium crush, fans “died in the arms” of players

• The number of children killed in the tragedy has now reached 32.
• The crush at the match in Java, where 125 people died, “broke his mind” Authorities say the youngest person who died in the disaster was only three years old.
• About 18 officers are now being looked into.

During a crush at Indonesia’s Kanjuruhan stadium, football fans “died in the arms” of players, the home team coach said. The number of children killed in the tragedy has now reached 32.

Javier Roca said that the crush at the match in Java, where 125 people died, “broke his mind.”

Authorities say the youngest person who died in the disaster on Saturday was only three years old.

After the game ended, fans rushed the field, and police fired tear gas at them. About 18 officers are now being looked into.

More than 320 other people were hurt when supporters ran away from the gas and were crushed and suffocated. The children were between 3 and 17 years old, according to the deputy minister of children and women’s affairs in Indonesia.

After things got “tense” with the fans, an eyewitness told the media  that police fired many gas rounds “continuously and quickly.” Fans of Arema FC, the home team, ran onto the field when their rivals Persebaya Surabaya won the game 3-2.

Social media videos show fans climbing over fences to get away. Different videos seemed to show dead bodies lying on the floor.

World football’s governing body, Fifa, called the disaster “a dark day for everyone involved in football and a tragedy beyond comprehension.” This is why an investigation is now being set up.

Fifa’s own rules say that no “crowd control gas” should be brought to or used at games, and the organisation has asked the Indonesian football federation for a report on the incident.

Mahfud MD, who is in charge of security, said on Instagram that more than 42,000 tickets had been sold for the game even though the stadium could only hold 38,000.

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