Survivals of the stampede that claimed scores of lives at the Kanjuruhan football stadium in Indonesia East Java region on Saturday night blamed the incident on the failure of the stadium’s handlers to keep the gates open during the stampede.
After a fight broke out at the end of a football game, it took longer than expected for the stadium gates to open, which led to a stampede that left at least 131 people dead according to testimonies of the survivals of the incident.
The chief executive and security coordinator of the home team have been permanently barred, according to the Football Association of Indonesia, for failing to safeguard the field or swiftly given an order to unlock the gates.
An official statement from Indonesia claimed that when spectators started running to escape tear gas fired by police to restrain people who had already entered the field, several gates were still locked.
However, Indonesian authorities stated that although the gates were open, they were too small to fit everyone who was attempting to flee.
According to police, the majority of the victims were killed at six of the 14 gates where security cameras were installed. The gates were open, according to police spokesperson Dedi Prasetyo, but they could only hold two persons per time.
The survivors charged the police with overreacting when they called the affair a riot and claimed two cops were killed.
More spectators entered the pitch as a result of the officers’ forceful response to the pitch invasion, which included kicking and beating spectators with batons, according to witnesses and video footage.
Many people died from being crushed or suffocated as frantic supporters rushed for narrow exit gates, some of which were closed after police shot tear gas.
The majority of the fatalities happened when riot police used tear gas and caused a crowd of spectators to race for the doors in a frantic, chaotic manner.
Police reacted as some of the 42,000 Arema FC supporters surged onto the field in rage following their team’s 3-2 loss to Persebaya Surabaya, which was its first home loss in 23 years.
Police reported on Monday that they had dismissed one police chief, nine elite officers, and that 18 other people were being looked into for their possible involvement in the use of tear gas inside the stadium.
Parts survivors said that some of the exit gates were closed, contradicting the police story, and they were unable to flee. The majority of them particularly highlighted Gate 13.
The Asian Football Confederation and Fifa both urge that stadium exits be unlocked at all times when a game is in progress for safety reasons.
These regulations, along with the advice against using tear gas to disperse crowds, are safety standards even though they may not always apply to domestic or national leagues.
Since Monday, hundreds of Arema supporters and locals have been paying respect to the victims outside Gates 13 and 12. Together, they prayed, scattered flower bouquets and rose petals, and hung several Arema scarves on the gates.
