Task force to look into crowd safety measures after soccer stampede in Indonesia
More than 130 people died in a crowd crush at a match on October 1, triggered by the firing of teargas by police inside the stadium
13 October 2022 - 13:58
byAnanda Teresia
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Soccer fans enter the pitch as military personnel try to stop them during a riot following a soccer match at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, Indonesia on October 1 2022. Picture: BACKPAGEPIX/EPA H PRABOWO
Jakarta — The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) and world soccer governing body Fifa will form a joint task force in a bid to improve crowd control and safety measures, after a deadly soccer stampede earlier in October, officials said on Thursday.
Indonesian authorities are under pressure to take swift steps to overhaul soccer safety standards, after more than 130 people died during a crowd crush at a match at the Kanjuruhan stadium in East Java on October 1, in one of the world’s worst stadium disasters.
Security experts have said the firing of teargas by police inside the stadium, a measure prohibited by Fifa, triggered the fatal stampede.
“We agreed to form a task force, or soccer transformation task force, consisting of the government, Fifa, and experts in soccer, security and stadiums,” PSSI head Muhammad Iriawan told reporters after a meeting with Fifa officials.
Under the plans, Indonesian police would ensure their standard operating procedures were synchronised with Fifa regulations, he said.
The joint task force will also include members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as well as the police and the ministries of sport, home affairs, health and public works.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, has said Fifa did not plan to sanction his country over the incident, but the rare intervention by the sport's governing body comes as Indonesia is due to host the Fifa under-20 World Cup in 2023.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino is expected to visit Jakarta on Tuesday to meet Jokowi, after which a joint commitment is due to be announced.
Infantino will also make a statement during a summit of leaders of the Group of 20 major economies in Bali in November about Indonesia’s readiness to host an international event, said Iriawan.
Six people, including police and match organisers, are facing criminal charges after the stampede, with the government highlighting lax safety measures, such as locked exit doors and an overcapacity stadium, as contributing factors.
Separately, the Indonesian minister of public works said that the Kanjuruhan stadium would be completely renovated after an audit of the site.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Task force to look into crowd safety measures after soccer stampede in Indonesia
More than 130 people died in a crowd crush at a match on October 1, triggered by the firing of teargas by police inside the stadium
Jakarta — The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) and world soccer governing body Fifa will form a joint task force in a bid to improve crowd control and safety measures, after a deadly soccer stampede earlier in October, officials said on Thursday.
Indonesian authorities are under pressure to take swift steps to overhaul soccer safety standards, after more than 130 people died during a crowd crush at a match at the Kanjuruhan stadium in East Java on October 1, in one of the world’s worst stadium disasters.
Security experts have said the firing of teargas by police inside the stadium, a measure prohibited by Fifa, triggered the fatal stampede.
“We agreed to form a task force, or soccer transformation task force, consisting of the government, Fifa, and experts in soccer, security and stadiums,” PSSI head Muhammad Iriawan told reporters after a meeting with Fifa officials.
Under the plans, Indonesian police would ensure their standard operating procedures were synchronised with Fifa regulations, he said.
The joint task force will also include members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as well as the police and the ministries of sport, home affairs, health and public works.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, has said Fifa did not plan to sanction his country over the incident, but the rare intervention by the sport's governing body comes as Indonesia is due to host the Fifa under-20 World Cup in 2023.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino is expected to visit Jakarta on Tuesday to meet Jokowi, after which a joint commitment is due to be announced.
Infantino will also make a statement during a summit of leaders of the Group of 20 major economies in Bali in November about Indonesia’s readiness to host an international event, said Iriawan.
Six people, including police and match organisers, are facing criminal charges after the stampede, with the government highlighting lax safety measures, such as locked exit doors and an overcapacity stadium, as contributing factors.
Separately, the Indonesian minister of public works said that the Kanjuruhan stadium would be completely renovated after an audit of the site.
Reuters
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