A spiral of unbridled violence has plunged football on the island of Java into horror. A pitched battle after a game in Indonesia has left at least 127 dead and 180 injured this Saturday, according to the police of the Asian country. Most of the deaths, according to the authorities, occurred after the stampede of the fans and dozens of them suffocated.
The riots broke out when fans of Arema FC in Malang district took to the pitch after their club lost the game to Persebaya Surayaba at Kanjuruhan Stadium in East Java. The officers tried unsuccessfully to placate the public with tear gas.
The images of the outbreak of violence broadcast, captured from the stands and broadcast on social networks, show how a crowd invades the field and begins a confrontation with the security forces while the teams and the referees flee the pitch to avoid the fury of the fans.
The Indonesian Football Association is investigating what happened and has announced that it will suspend the league for a week. The authorities have reported that two policemen are among the deceased. At least 34 people died inside the stadium and the rest in the hospital to which the injured were transferred, according to the police chief of the East Java province, Nico Afinta.
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