Just after the match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya had ended at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, Indonesia on Saturday night, a group of three Arema fans came down from the stands trying to find – with the players of his team on the field, he recalled. a spectator watching from the south stand.
It had been a disappointing game for the home side: they had lost 3-2 to Persebaya Surabaya, a team with whom they shared such a fierce rivalry that their supporters were kicked out of the Arema ground. This was their first defeat against Persebaya after 23 years of undefeated matches at home.
Local fans were perhaps going to use their disappointment at their team’s performance as an excuse to ask for selfies, added Prayogi, 29, who owns a shop selling football clothing, who asked not to give your full name. At the time, things were still quiet, he said.
“There was absolutely no tendency to attack the Persebaya players,” he added. “Their captain even had time to pray and thank God for their victory in midfield,” he said.
The fans took to the pitch after their team lost to an opponent for the first time at home in 23 years. Photo: Yudha Prabowo/AP
The situation, however, escalated. The small group of fans that came down seemed to cause more fans to leave the stands. Soon tens, hundreds and even thousands crowded the field.
The exact sequence of events is unclear, but footage on social media shows police using batons to disperse the crowd, kicking supporters and firing tear gas.
Tear gas, which is not supposed to be fired in stadiums under FIFA guidelines, was used without warning, said three fans who spoke to the Guardian, including Prayogi.
Deadly crush after police fire tear gas at soccer match in Indonesia: video
East Java regional police chief Inspector General Nico Afinta said the use of tear gas was in accordance with police procedure. He was dismissed because the fans had acted in an unruly manner and entered the field, he said.
“If the fans had obeyed the rules, this incident would not have happened,” Afinta said.
Zhafran Nashir, 17, a student who had been watching the game with his brother from the eastern stand, said the use of gas caused panic. He saw five tear gas fired at people waiting at the south end.
“I think it was unnecessary because the riot happened right on the field,” he said. “Some on the pitch had tried to get into the players’ dressing room, but the people in the stands were just watching. When tear gas was fired, everyone in the stands hurried to leave. People were being trampled, he said. He was also shot at his support. When he tried to escape, he saw two children who had lost their parents in the chaos.
A police officer fires tear gas inside the stadium, a practice that goes against FIFA guidelines. Photo: Antara Photo/Reuters
Prayogi, who was watching near Gate 13 with his wife and friends, decided to stay until the situation calmed down. “I held on in the stands even when the gas choked my throat,” he said. “In my 20 years as a [Arema fan]I’ve never felt as terrified as I did that night.”
Fans were caught in a deadly crush at the nearby exit. “The door leading to the exit door was only two to three meters wide,” Prayogi said, adding that he believes it was locked. The Guardian cannot confirm this. “The fans were forced to break it up just to get off the field. I think a lot of people were trapped in those corridors, so tight that many of them broke their bones or became unconscious after they ran out of breath.”
Authorities said 125 people died in the disaster and 320 were injured.
Fans were photographed working in groups to get people to medical aid. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Rahmat, 23, had been watching from the north side, along with seven of his friends. His stand was also attacked with tear gas; his eyes watered and he felt short of breath. “The police didn’t warn us before they fired tear gas at us. So when the crowd broke up, it was full of panicked, suffocating people with burning eyes,” he said.
“The sound of the shots ringing out was very deafening. When I first saw the mob and chaos around me, I thought that my life would end tonight, that I would surely die here.”
Rahmat echoed reports that the stadium was filled beyond capacity. “Some of the audience didn’t even get a seat,” he said.
Police vehicles and officials were attacked by angry fans. Photo: Yudha Prabowo/AP
He waited between 30 minutes and an hour before trying to leave, by which time things had calmed down inside the stadium, but chaos had spread to the streets.
“The first thing I saw after leaving the stadium was people lying on the ground. I thought they were drunk or unconscious. But after I got home, I realized what I saw then were dead bodies,” Rahmet said. He saw two police cars that had been set on fire and two other cars that had been vandalized by fans. Near the exit, a raging fire rose into the sky.
An official who works for Persebaya, and who first helped evacuate players and management staff, said his vehicle was later stoned and set on fire by Arema fans as he tried to leave the stadium.
Authorities say 125 people died at Kanjuruhan Stadium on Saturday night, and 320 others were injured. Photograph: Willy Kurniawan/Reuters
“My face was bruised and we barely escaped being burned alive that night,” said 30-year-old Defri Hariyanto. In just 20 minutes, the police truck I went to was set on fire by an angry mob. I thought I was going to die.”
He said he was too traumatized to talk at length about his experience.
All those interviewed said they had never before witnessed such brutal violence.
“I will never be able to forget what happened last night,” Prayogi said. “The most painful and terrifying part of it all was opening one body bag at a time to see if I could recognize friends or family.”
Prayogi added: “Last night it seemed that a human life had no value.”