At least 129 people have died in Indonesia following riots at Kanjuruhan stadium after a soccer match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya, where security forces responded with the use of tear gas.

The chief inspector general of the East Java Police said that the protests were generated after Arema FC’s defeat against their opponents, according to local media ‘Suryamalang’.

The spiral of violence began when about 3,000 fans of the losing team stormed the pitch and started attacking the players, which triggered a fierce confrontation with security forces.

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The commissioner said that the security guards took preventive and diversionary measures so that “the chaos did not escalate”, which included the use of tear gas. At the moment 129 people have been confirmed dead.

Indonesian authorities reported that the number of spectators exceeded the capacity of the stadium, which had issued 42,000 tickets for a capacity of 38,000 people.

“It was a crowded space, which caused difficulty breathing, lack of oxygen, which the medical team and the joint team tried to facilitate in the stadium,” said the police chief.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has ordered an assessment of security at soccer matches. He has also ordered a halt to League 1 until the investigation of the events is concluded.

-Thailand News (TN)