Chaos in Indonesia, more than 100 dead are reported in soccer stadium 1:01
(CNN) --
At least 131 people have died after chaos and violence erupted during an Indonesian league soccer match in the early hours of Sunday, according to the governor of East Java, in one of the disasters in deadliest stadiums of all time.
Supporters of Arema FC and rival Persebaya Surabaya, two of Indonesia's top football teams, clashed in the stands after local team Arema FC was beaten 3-2 in a match in Malang city, in East Java, police said.
Supporters of the losing team "invaded" the pitch and police fired tear gas, triggering a stampede that led to cases of suffocation, East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta said during a post-event press conference.
Two police officers were also among the dead, the police chief said, adding that the crushing occurred as fans were fleeing toward an exit door.
This image shows smoke, which appeared to be tear gas, in videos from inside the stadium.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi, on Sunday ordered all league matches to be suspended until investigations were completed.
“I have especially asked the police chief to investigate and get to the bottom of this case,” Jokowi said in a televised speech.
"Sportsmanship, humanity and brotherhood must be upheld in Indonesia."
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“I am sorry for this tragedy and I hope it will be the last one to happen in Indonesian football.
We cannot have more (of this) in the future.”
Videos recorded from inside the stadium late into the night and shared on social media showed fans, dressed in red and blue, the colors of the home team, storming the pitch and clashing with Indonesian security forces. , who appeared to be wearing riot gear.
Indonesian police officers said the violence had erupted after the defeat of Arema FC, one of Indonesia's biggest soccer clubs.
Video footage broadcast on local news channels also showed images of body bags, Reuters reported.
Smoke, which appeared to be tear gas, was also later seen on video, showing multiple people being led into a building.
Authorities said many had been admitted to nearby hospitals, suffering from "lack of oxygen and shortness of breath".
“Tarnishing the name of Indonesian football”
The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has suspended next week's matches as a result of the deadly tragedy and banned Arema FC from hosting matches for the rest of the season.
"The PSSI regrets the actions of the Aremania supporters at the Kanjuruhan stadium," the association's president, Mochamad Iriawan, said in a statement issued on Sunday.
He added that the incident had "stained the face of Indonesian football" and that they supported official investigations into the event.
"We are sorry and apologize to the families of the victims and all parties for the incident," the statement said.
"For that, PSSI immediately formed an investigation team and immediately left for Malang," he added.
CNN reached out to FIFA, soccer's international governing body, for a statement but did not immediately hear back.
Persebaya issued a statement expressing their condolences, saying: “Persebaya's great family expresses its deepest condolences for the loss of life after the Arema FC vs.
Perseberry.
No life is worth football."
