Hundreds of football fans are reported to have died following riots during a match which got severely out of hand and resulted in clashes with police. Initial pitch invasions following the final whistle in the match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya in Indonesia reportedly led to much more sinister consequences.Arema were beat 3-2 at home by their rivals Persebaya, prompting high tension and scenes of fury as home supporters took to the pitch as full-time was called.Police responded by using tear gas against the supporters, causing riots to reportedly break out in the immediate aftermath of the football fixture, leading to an unconfirmed number of deaths following a stampede.Images and video footage of the post-match scenes has since circulated across social media, in which swirls of tear gas can be seen drifting across the football pitch as fans and police rush in all directions.It is also claimed that several Arema players who were still on the field at the time were attacked.Police are yet to release an official report on the matter, though the harrowing images captured by some supporters in the stadium paint a haunting scene. In one clip, fans could be seen retreating and climbing over pitchside fences in order to evade the tear gas and billows of heavy smoke. Local reports suggested the medical facilities were struggling to cope with the number of injured fans being rushed in for treatment, with the death toll rising throughout the night as a result.Around 180 people are being treated in hospital – and it is believed the stampede began at the first point of which the police fired tear gas into the crowds. Reports claim that two police officers are among those who lost their lives.A Twitter user present at the match, @AbdRakibFaisal, uploaded a series of videos to the social media platform while appealing to police to explain why they used the forceful actions and thus increased the severity of an already dangerous situation.One follow-up video showed the scenes outside the Kanjuruhan stadium after the events, in which a mass of people stood while in the distance it appeared that flames could be seen.All remaining BRI Liga 1 fixtures this week have been suspended in the wake of the incident, while the Indonesian FA have now since confirmed that Arema will not host any games for the rest of the season.While still yet to be confirmed by local authorities, the total number of victims following the horrific scenes is believed to exceed one hundred and is said to include young children.Akhmad Hadian Lukita, the president of PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB), issued a statement in the aftermath, saying: “We are concerned and deeply regret this incident. We share our condolences and hopefully this will be a valuable lesson for all of us.”Speaking to local reporters on the scene, the league’s general chair Mochamad Iriawan said: “PSSI regrets the actions of Aremania supporters at the Kanjuruhan Stadium.”We are sorry and apologise to the families of the victims and all parties for the incident. For that PSSI immediately formed an investigation team and immediately left for Malang.”
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