Indonesia suspends nine police officers and ‘will make officials pay’ for stampede that killed 215 people

Written by on October 5, 2022

Indonesia suspends nine police officers and ‘will make officials pay’ for stampede that killed 215 people

Indonesian police insisted on Tuesday that they would “enforce laws against the guilty” after arresting nine police officers in connection with the stampede at a football stadium in the city of Malang, which killed at least 215 people.

After the tragedy during a football match

“We will make sure that laws are followed against anyone found guilty,” East Java provincial police chief Nico Aventa said at a press conference where the tragic incident occurred on Saturday.

The authorities, who have opened an internal investigation to review the actions of security forces – who fired tear gas canisters into the stands, which could exacerbate the stampede – plan to provide more details throughout the day.

Currently, Malang Police Chief Ferli Hidayat and nine other officers are known to have been removed from their posts while investigations are in progress, and that 28 officers are being questioned over the events following Saturday’s match.

The tragedy occurred after thousands of fans of Arima club, the local team, stormed the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang after the 2-3 loss to Persibaya Surabaya and clashed with the authorities.

Security officers responded by charging batons and firing tear gas to try to stop the attacks, causing panicked fans to flee in droves toward the stadium exits.

At least 215 people died, 33 of whom were children between the ages of 4 and 17, and more than 320 were injured, according to official figures, and most of the victims died due to suffocation, shock or trampling, according to hospital sources and eyewitnesses. .

The Indonesian government promised to explain the causes of the event, which was described as the worst tragedy in Indonesian football and one of the worst events in the sport ever in the world.

On Monday, the Minister of Security, Mahfouz, announced the formation of an independent committee to investigate the violence committed by the fans and the actions of the security personnel.


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