127 killed in crowd stampede after Arema vs Persebaya football match in Indonesia

Indonesia's policy chief in East Java province said on Sunday that 127 people had died and 180 were injured after a stampede during crowd trouble at a football match between Arema and Persebaya Surabaya at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang.

Supporters of losing side Arema invaded the pitch prompting authorities to fire tear gas, which in turn led to a crowd stampede and cases of suffocation, Nico Afinta told reporters.

His account was corroborated by a local health official who said many of the victims died of "chaos, overcrowding, trampling and suffocation".

Reports suggest Arema players still on the field were attacked following their 2-3 loss while numerous vehicles including police cars were set alight within the ground's perimeters.

Following the tragedy, an investigation by the Indonesian FA has been launched and Arema has been barred from hosting matches for the rest of the season.

All Indonesian league matches have also been suspended for the next week.

Association chair Mochamad Iriawan apologised to families of the victims and said the incident "really tarnishes the face of Indonesian football".

More to follow...