Indonesia appoints independent commission to investigate deaths in football stampede

The entire football world was rocked on Saturday after as many as 125 people lost their lives in a deadly stampede at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Indonesia's East Java province following a football match. The match between bitter rivals Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya turned deadly after Arema fans decided to storm on the pitch following their side's 3-2 defeat.

Hundreds of angry Arema FC fans invaded the pitch after their team's loss and ended up clashing with the rival fans and the police officers present on the ground. A stampede was triggered after the police decided to fire tear gas shots on the crowd.

Panic-stricken fans tried to exit the stadium in a hurry, resulting in a massive stampede at the exit gates. Many were crushed, including 17 children who had gone to watch the game with their families. The tragic incident has left the entire football world in shock.

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Indonesia has now set up an independent commission to investigate the incident. As per The New York Times, Mahfud MD, the chief security minister of Indonesia on Monday confirmed an independent inquiry will be conducted into the deaths of 125 fans. Mahfud said the investigation is likely to take two weeks to complete.

The investigation will focus on finding out if any laws were broken during the game which led to the stampede, what compensation should be provided to the families of the victims and how to avoid such tragedies in Indonesian football in the future.

Also Read:Indonesia stadium stampede: What led to one of world's worst football tragedies?

Many have blamed the use of tear gas shots by the police inside the stadium for the deadly stampede. While 125 lost their lives, hundreds sustained injuries. Several videos on social media showcased injured and unconscious fans being escorted out of the stadium after the tragedy.