Indonesia calls for punishment of 'perpetrators' in stadium stampede

Indonesia's chief security minister says the government will form an independent fact-finding team which would include academics and experts as well as government officials to probe what happened.

The stadium stampede left at least 125 people dead,  including 17 children.
AFP

The stadium stampede left at least 125 people dead, including 17 children.

Indonesia's government has called on the country's police to identify and punish those responsible for a football stadium stampede that has killed 125 people, including seventeen children.

Anger has mounted over Saturday night's tragedy, one of the deadliest disasters in the history of football. Over 320 people have been injured in the stampede in Malang city, after officers fired tear gas in a packed stadium to quell a pitch invasion.

"We ask the national police to find the perpetrators who have committed crimes in the next few days," Indonesia's chief security minister Mahfud MD said in a broadcast statement on Monday, without specifying who he was referring to.

"We asked them to unveil who has perpetrated the crimes and that action must be taken against them and we also hope the National Police will evaluate their security procedures," he added, announcing a task force for the investigation had been formed.

Mahfud said the task force would be chosen in the next 24 hours and would consist of government officials, analysts, ministry representatives, football organisation officials, academics and members of the media.

He said authorities would announce the results of the probe as soon as possible. "It is estimated the task can be concluded in the next two or three weeks," he said.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has announced a probe into the incident, but rights groups have said it should be independent and officers should be held accountable for using tear gas in a confined area.

"We call on authorities to conduct a swift, thorough, and independent investigation into the use of tear gas at the stadium and ensure that those who are found to have committed violations are tried in open court," Amnesty International said in a statement.

"This loss of life cannot go unanswered."

READ MORE: 'A dark day': Football stampede leaves more than hundred dead in Indonesia

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Calls for justice

Violence and hooliganism have long been features of Indonesian football, especially in places such as Jakarta, the capital, but Saturday's disaster in a small town in Java has thrown a spotlight on the problem.

The incident unfolded when fans of home team Arema FC stormed the pitch at the Kanjuruhan stadium after their loss 2-3 to bitter rivals Persebaya Surabaya.

Police responded by launching volleys of tear gas into packed terraces, prompting spectators to rush en masse to small gates where many were trampled or suffocated, according to witnesses.

Police described the incident as a riot in which two officers were killed but survivors accuse them of overreacting and causing the deaths of scores of spectators, including a five-year-old boy.

"One of our messages is for the authorities to investigate this (incident) thoroughly. And we want accountability, who is to blame?" said 25-year-old Andika, who declined to give his last name.

"We want justice for our fallen supporters," he said.

READ MORE: A look back into deadly football stadium tragedies

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