Thirty-three children died in a stampede after a football match at Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang District, East Java Province, on Saturday evening, the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry informed on Monday.
"Thirty-three children died: 8 girls and 25 boys, ranging from 4 to 17 years old," deputy for special child protection at the ministry Nahar said upon being contacted here on Monday.
The figure was part of the total death toll of 125, on which data was released by the National Police, he said.
Meanwhile, the number of children being treated at local hospitals is still being confirmed.
"We are still (awaiting) complete data," he said.
His administration, the provincial Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Office, and Malang district authorities are still coordinating to collect special data on children who fell victim to the stampede and the resultant chaos, which will serve as material for stakeholders to make service interventions.
The stampede at Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang district, occurred following a match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya, which ended with a final score of 2-3, on Saturday evening (October 1, 2022).
Disappointed with the outcome, around three thousand Arema FC supporters reportedly rushed to the field to vent their rage on players, officials, and others. Police tried to dispel the crowd by launching tear gas.
The National Police said 125 lives were lost in the crowd crush. Currently, the police are conducting further investigations into the incident.
A special fact-finding team has also been set up by the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs to probe the incident (*)
Editor : Abdullah Rifai
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