Indonesian police on Thursday identified six people, including a policeman and match organizers, who face criminal liability charges after a stampede at a soccer match over the weekend that killed at least 131 people.
The stampede that occurred last Saturday in the Malang district of East Java was among the worst disasters in sports stadiums in the world, as hundreds of football fans tried to escape from a riot in the stadium and from tear gas fired by the police, which led to the disaster that worsened Because several exits were blocked.
Listeo Sijit Prabowo, the head of the Indonesian police, told a news conference that match organizers and police officers were among the people under investigation, and that charges might be brought against others.
They may face charges of criminal negligence that led to death, which is punishable by law with imprisonment for a period not exceeding 5 years.
The list of suspects includes 3 policemen for firing tear gas, the head of the organizing committee, and the security official at the Arima club stadium.
Police said club officials did not comply with safety requirements, allowing more than the stadium's capacity to attend the match, while supervisors left the exits.
Police said exits from which fans were trying to escape were too narrow to accommodate them, and the Indonesian Football Association said some exits were blocked.
The government had set up a fact-finding team in the hope of finding the culprits in the deadliest incident in world football since the 1964 riots in Peru.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has ordered stadiums across the country to be checked to ensure they comply with safety rules, noting that the main problem with the stampede and rioting was "closed doors and steep stairs."
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