Indonesia police chief, others removed over soccer disaster; govt to probe other elite police officers over disaster

TOPSHOT - A woman grieves as she pays her respects for victims of the stampede at Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, East Java on October 4, 2022. - Elite Indonesian police officers were under investigation on October 4 over a stadium stampede that killed at least 131 people including dozens of children in one of the deadliest disasters in football history. - AFP

MALANG (Indonesia), Oct 4 (AP): An Indonesian police chief and nine elite officers were removed from their posts on Tuesday and 18 others were being investigated for responsibility in the firing of tear gas inside a soccer stadium that set off a stampede, killing at least 131 people, officials said.

Distraught family members were struggling to comprehend the loss of their loved ones, including 32 children, at the match in East Java’s Malang city that was attended only by hometown Arema FC fans. The organizer had banned supporters of the visiting team, Persebaya Surabaya, because of Indonesia’s history of violent soccer rivalries.