Use of tear gas blamed for deaths of 130 in Indonesian stadium disaster

October 17 – The stampede that killed more than 130 people in the recent Indonesian stadium disaster was directly caused by tear gas, the country’s security minister has confirmed.

A fact-finding team which included government officials, football and security experts, said it could not “diminish the conclusion that the massive (number of) deaths was mainly caused by tear gas.”

The investigators also found the police personnel on duty had no knowledge of the prohibition of tear gas which had been fired “indiscriminately”.

The usage of tear gas triggered a massive panic as fans tried to escape through the exit gates. Many got trampled to death while others succumbed due to suffocation.

The police sought to play down their role in the tragedy, emphasising that narrow doors in the over-capacity stadium, exacerbated the crush.

But Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD commented: “The way the victims fell was more terrifying than what has been reported on TV and social media.”

Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1711693699labto1711693699ofdlr1711693699owedi1711693699sni@w1711693699ahsra1711693699w.wer1711693699dna1711693699


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