Indonesia: A stadium crush caused spectators to “die in the arms” of the players

The coach of the home team claimed that football fans “died in the arms” of players during a crush at Indonesia’s Kanjuruhan stadium as the death toll among children reached 32.

Javier Roca claimed that the Java match crush, which resulted in 125 fatalities, left him “mentally shattered.”

 

According to the authorities, the disaster’s youngest victim was only three years old.

Following the use of tear gas by police against fans who surrounded the field of play after the game, 18 officers are currently under investigation.

Supporters fleeing the gas were trampled on and suffocated in crushes, injuring more than 320 additional people. The kids, according to Indonesia’s deputy minister of women’s and children’s affairs, ranged in age from three to seventeen.

 

According to a witness who spoke to the BBC, police fired numerous gas rounds “continuously and quickly” after the situation with the fans turned “tense.” When the game ended in a 3-2 loss for the home team Arema FC to their rivals Persebaya Surabaya, fans ran onto the field.

Social media videos depict fans scaling fences to get away. In different videos, it seemed like there were dead bodies on the ground.

 

A sea of smoke in the stands, according to one witness named Chandra who spoke to the BBC, instantly panicked spectators. Little children were sobbing, women were collapsing, screams could be heard everywhere, and everyone was fleeing, he said.

Another fan, Eko, complained that the crowd of people trying to leave the stand prevented him from using the exits.

 

“I returned with friends to the top of the stands. So I covered myself with a scarf to keep the smoke out. I then leaped into the field and descended through the side door after that,” he continued.

Debora, her daughter who is 17 years old, was seriously hurt during the panic, according to Ester Andayanengtyas, who told the BBC that Debora broke her neck and experienced brain swelling.

 

FAQ

 

• How many children were reached at Indonesia’s Kanjuruhan stadium?

Ans. 32

 

• What is their age of Debora?

Ans. 17 years old 

 

• Who is the witness?

Ans. Chandra