October 3, 2022 8:58 PM

printer

Indonesia police chief, nine elite officers removed over soccer stampede

<span style="color: #222222;">In Indonesia, a police chief and nine elite officers were removed from their posts Monday and 18 others were being investigated for responsibility in the firing of tear gas inside a soccer stadium that set off a stampede, killing at least 125 people including 17 children, officials said. National Police spokesperson Dedy Prasetyo said Malang police chief Ferli Hidayat had been removed along with nine members of an elite police mobile brigade and faced possible dismissal in a police ethics trial. He said 18 officers responsible for firing the tear gas, ranging from middle- to high-ranking, were being investigated. Police are questioning witnesses and analyzing video from 32 security cameras inside and outside the stadium.<br />'' <br />''The incident occurred in East Java's Malang city where only hometown Arema FC fans watched the match. The organizer had banned visiting Persebaya Surabaya's supporters due to the country's violent soccer rivalries. Witnesses said fans flooded the pitch and demanded that Arema management explain why, after 23 years of undefeated home matches against Persebaya, Saturday night's ended in a 3-2 defeat. Some of the 42,000 Arema fans threw bottles and other objects at players and soccer officials. Most of the 125 people who died were trampled upon or suffocated. Police said 323 people overall were injured in the crash, some of them still in critical condition. President Joko Widodo has ordered the premier soccer league suspended until safety is reevaluated and security tightened.</span><br />

Most Read
View All arrow-right

No posts found.