EXPLAINER - Indonesia football stadium tragedy: What happened, death toll, and reaction
The incident in East Java province has sparked outrage and grief in Indonesia, where sports commentators and activists have slammed what they see as an excessive use of force by police, and authorities have pledged to investigate. Questions are being asked about locked gates at the stadium, which was packed well over capacity, and about holding a match that local football experts had identified as 'high risk' due to the bitter rivalry between the two teams. WHAT HAPPENED AT THE MATCH?The match between the home team Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya ended with the former losing 3-2, a huge upset given that Arema had not lost a home game to Persebaya in 23 years, according to police and a local soccer expert. The outcome angered many in the crowd, which consisted almost entirely of Arema supporters after the police had banned Persebaya supporters from attending for fear of violent clashes.
