At least 174 people died at an Indonesian football stadium when thousands of kwaad home fans invaded the pitch and cops responded with tear gas that triggered a stampede.
The tragedy on Saturday in the city of Malang, which also left 180 injured, was one of the world’s deadliest stadium disasters.
Arema FC supporters at the Kanjuruhan Stadium stormed the pitch after their team lost 3-2 to their bitter rivals, Persebaya Surabaya.
Cops said they tried to force fans to return to the stands and fired tear gas after two cops were killed.
Many of the victims were trampled or choked to death.
At least 174 people died, East Java deputy governor Emil Dardak told broadcaster Kompas TV yesterday afternoon, raising the toll from 129.
Survivors described panicking spectators in a packed crowd as tear gas rained down on them.
“Officers fired tear gas, and automatically people were rushing to come out, pushing each other and it caused many victims,” a spectator told AFP.
“Nothing was happening, there was no riot. I don’t know what the issue was, they suddenly fired tear gas. That’s what shocked me, didn’t they think about kids, women?”
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.
The stadium can hold 42 000 people, and cops said 3 000 stormed the pitch.
Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya are long-time rivals. Persebaya Surabaya fans were not allowed to buy tickets for the game due to fears of violence.
Indonesia is to host the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in May, and is also bidding to replace China as host of the 2023 Asian Cup alongside South Korea and Qatar.
Other disasters include a 1989 crush in the stands at Hillsborough Stadium, which led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans.
And in 1964, 320 people were killed and more than 1000 injured during a stampede at a Peru-Argentina Olympic qualifier at Lima's National Stadium.