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Two soccer fans die in stampede in Indonesia
Two Indonesian fans died in a stampede at the Southeast Asian Games football final in Jakarta.
Two Indonesian fans died in a stampede at the Southeast Asian Games football final in Jakarta.
The two men, wearing Indonesian red-and-white football team T-shirts were taken to hospital at 8:30 p.m., 90 minutes after the stampede broke out Monday after defending champions Malaysia scored a win on penalties against hosts Indonesia, reports Xinhua.
Local media reported that several other spectators were taken to hospitals, including a nine-year-old boy who had gone into a coma, as tens of thousands of fans swarmed the Gelora Bung Karno stadium for the final.
Hundreds of fans thronged ticket barriers as police closed the gates shortly before kickoff, with many fans inside forced to crouch in aisles and walkways.
Those in the stands endured a nerve-wracking night and eventual heartbreak as Malaysia won 4-3 on penalties with the game deadlocked at 1-1 after extra time. Indonesia topped the medal tally with 171 gold.
