Watch: Stampede Causes 129 Deaths During A Football Match In Indonesia

A  tragic incident during a domestic game between Arema football club and Persebaya Surabaya has left everyone in shock. A stampede after the game in Indonesia caused 129 deaths. Authorities said on Sunday that fans invaded the pitch and police responded with tear gas, causing a stampede.

Arema FC supporters stormed the pitch late on Saturday at the Kanjuruhan stadium in the eastern city of Malang after their team lost 3-2 to Persebaya Surabaya, their first loss to their bitter rival in more than two decades. After two officers were killed, police, who described the unrest as "riots," tried to persuade fans to return to the stands and fired tear gas.

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At least 129 people died after violence at a football match in #Indonesia, last night. The deaths occurred when angry fans invaded a football pitch after a match in East Java

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— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) October 2, 2022

According to police, many of the victims were trampled to death. "n the incident, 129 people died, two of whom are police officers. Thirty-four people died inside the stadium and the rest died in hospital," East Java police chief Nico Afinta said in a statement on Sunday.

Images from inside the stadium showed massive amounts of tear gas and people clambering over fences. Throughout the chaos, people were carrying injured spectators. On Sunday morning, firebombed vehicles, including a police truck, littered the streets outside the stadium.

The Indonesian government apologised for the incident and promised to look into what caused the stampede. "We're sorry for this incident... this is a regrettable incident that 'injures' our football at a time when supporters can watch football matches from the stadium," Indonesian Sports and Youth Minister Zainudin Amali told broadcaster Kompas.

"We will thoroughly evaluate the organisation of the match and the attendance of supporters. Will we return to banning supporters from attending the matches? That is what we will discuss."

The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) suspended football matches for one week and barred Arema FC from hosting home games for the rest of the season. They announced that an investigation team would be sent to Malang to determine the cause of the incident.