News: SEA Games, Two dead in terrifying football stampede

JAKARTA - Two people were killed and a young boy was left in a coma, reports said, in a terrifying stampede when thousands of fans jammed Jakarta’s biggest stadium for the Southeast Asian Games football final.
An AFP reporter at the scene said hundreds of people were packed tight against ticket barriers as police closed the gates shortly before kick-off late on Monday, with many fans inside forced to crouch in aisles and walkways.
And police told the Jakarta Post that two people were trampled to death after supporters rushed into the sold-out, 88,000-capacity venue by breaking through the gate at Section 15.
Other reports said several people were taken to hospital, including a nine-year-old boy who had fallen into a coma.
A relative of one of the victims described his death to AFP.
“As we were entering the stadium, the crowd of people pushed each other to make their way forward,” said the relative, named Helmi.
He said that his relative “was pushed away from me and we were separated. I then heard that some people had fallen and that people had died.” Helmi added that he “rushed to check” and found his relative dead.
The harrowing incident followed complaints over poor organisation at the sprawling, multi-sport showpiece, and calls for calm ahead of the flashpoint football final between arch-rivals Indonesia and Malaysia.
Earlier on Monday, fans went on the rampage after the cavernous arena sold out, and burned down a ticket booth and besieged the media centre before they were dispersed by riot police.
Malaysia, who won the game on penalties, had requested armoured vehicles to escort their players to and from the central Jakarta venue after their bus was surrounded and kicked by hostile fans before their semi-final.
“I really hope our supporters behave themselves and support their team in a good way,” head of Games’ organisers Inasoc, Rita Subowo, said before the match.
“Fair play has to be there and we don’t want people to come who are set on causing problems. We have the security in place but sadly there are sometimes people who go over the top and we can’t control that.” But the chef de mission of Myanmar, which will host the next SEA Games in 2013, has criticised organisational standards and said conditions at the opening ceremony in Palembang were “not safe”. “There were no ushers. The VIP and public entrances at the main stadium in Palembang were the same. It was very confusing after the opening ceremony and not safe,” Naw Tawng told Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper.
The run-up to the event, split between Jakarta and the South Sumatra city of Palembang, had been plagued by concerns over unfinished venues and a lack of accommodation and transport. - AFP


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