The death toll from an Indonesian football riot that turned into a stampede rose by six to 131 on Tuesday; a local health official told AFP.
Six victims succumb to injuries
The six additional victims who succumbed to their injuries “have been sent home to their families,” said Wiyanto Wijoyo, head of the health agency in Malang Regency, where the tragedy occurred.
The police chief in Indonesia’s East Java province, where a stadium tragedy left 131 dead at the weekend, apologised on Tuesday for the disaster.
“As the regional police chief, I am concerned, saddened, and at the same time I am sorry for the shortcomings in the security process,” Nico Afinta told a press conference in the city of Malang.
World’s deadliest sporting stadium disasters
The tragedy on Saturday night in the eastern city of Malang, which also left 180 injured, was one of the world’s deadliest sporting stadium disasters.
Arema FC supporters at the Kanjuruhan stadium stormed the pitch late on Saturday after their team lost 3-2 to the visiting team and bitter rivals, Persebaya Surabaya.
Police, who described the unrest as “riots”, said they tried to force fans to return to the stands and fired tear gas after two officers were killed.
Many of the victims were trampled or choked to death, according to police.
Survivors described panicking spectators in a packed crowd as tear gas rained down on them.
President Joko Widodo ordered an investigation into the tragedy, a safety review into all football matches and directed the country’s football association to suspend all matches until “security improvements” were completed.
“I deeply regret this tragedy and I hope this football tragedy will be the last in our country,” Widodo said.
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