Police chief sacked over stampede

Grief unmatched: Arema FC supporters praying at a monument as they pay their condolences to the families of the victims of a riot after a soccer match between Arema vs Persebaya, outside Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, East Java province. — Reuters

An Indonesian police chief and nine elite officers were removed from their posts 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 dozens of children, at the match in East Java’s Malang city that was attended only by hometown Arema FC fans. The organiser had banned supporters of the visiting team, Persebaya Surabaya, because of Indonesia’s history of violent soccer rivalries.