Indonesian authorities reported the death of 17 children among the more than 125 victims of violent riots after a football match in Indonesia, in one of the greatest tragedies in the history of world football.
The juvenile department of the Indonesian Ministry of Women and Child Protection prHe specified on Sunday in a statement the number of deceased minors for the events that occurred on Saturday night, reports the Indonesian news agency Antara.
Thousands of Arema club fans stormed the pitch after a 2-3 loss to Persebaya Surabaya at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang cityin the province of East Java, and clashed with security forces, leaving 125 dead and more than 320 injured so far.
ONG Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged this Monday to investigate the actions of the Indonesian CIN police, who launched tear gas canisters and used force to disperse thousands of fans inside a soccer field, in riots that ended with at least 125 dead.
“All those responsible must be held accountable for this disaster, regardless of their status or position,” calls for the deputy director for Asia of HRW, Phil Robertson, asking the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, an “independent and impartial investigation to get to the bottom of this tragedy.”
The authorities reported that 174 people died in the tragedy, but lowered the figure to 125 Sunday night due to “an error in the registry” in the hospitals that treated the victims, according to the National Police.
The crowd attacked the police and destroyed various infrastructures of the sports center, while the security agents responded with tear gas in an attempt to stop the attacks, sending fans into a panic and causing the stampede.