New Delhi: The death toll in Indonesia's football stadium riot on Sunday rose to 174. The tragedy on Saturday night is one of the world's deadliest sporting stadium disasters.
"At 10:30 am the figure rose to 174 deaths. That's the data collected by the East Java disaster mitigation agency," East Java deputy governor Emil Dardak told broadcaster Kompas TV, as reported by news agency AFP.
Earlier, at least 129 people were reported died, mostly trampled to death, in Indonesia’s Malang city in East Java province after police fired tear gas to stop brawls following a soccer match, said the police on Sunday, reported the news agency Associated Press.
Several fights were reported from inside the Kanjuruhan stadium in the city between two rival soccer teams after the Indonesian Premier League game ended with Persebaya Surabaya beating Arema Malang 3-2, reported the news agency.
East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta said that the brawls broke out just after the game ended late night Saturday prompting riot police to fire tear gas, which caused panic among supporters.
In an effort to avoid the tear gas hundreds of people ran towards the exit gate where some suffocated in the chaos while others were trampled, leaving almost 24 people dead instantly.
Over 300 of them were rushed to nearby hospitals to treat injuries, but many died on the way and during treatment, Afinta said, adding that among the dead are two policemen as well.
The death toll is likely still increasing since many of about 180 injured victims’ conditions were deteriorating, he added.
Taking note of the incident, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has ordered a safety review of the country's football matches.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian football association said that it had launched a probe, adding that the incident had “tarnished the face of Indonesian football,” stated a report by BBC.
Following the incident, the top league BRI Liga 1 has been suspended for a week, the BBC report added.