More than 125 dead in soccer stampede

Name: WORLD
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A police car damaged in a riot at a soccer game in Malang, Indonesia Associated Press/Photo by Trisnadi

Violence broke out at a soccer stadium in Malang, Indonesia, when the home team lost. Some of the fans began throwing bottles at players and officials, then rushed the field. Police fired tear gas to stop the melee but instead triggered a stampede. More than 125 people died—most of them trampled or suffocated.

Are riots like this common? Documented disasters at soccer games around the world happen about once a decade, on average. In 2012, 74 people were killed and more than 500 injured when a riot broke out at a game in Port Said, Egypt. The Egyptian league was suspended for two years as a result.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Charissa Koh’s report on the winner of the most recent men’s World Cup.

Lynde Langdon

Lynde is WORLD’s executive editor for news. She is a graduate of World Journalism Institute, the Missouri School of Journalism, and the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Lynde resides with her family in Wichita, Kan.

@lmlangdon