Indonesian Football Stadium to Be Demolished After over 130 People Killed in Crush

Indonesia President Joko Widodo confirmed the football stadium at which more than 130 people died in a crush will be demolished.

"We agreed to thoroughly transform Indonesian soccer," Widodo said after meeting FIFA President Gianni Infantino, per Reuters' Stanley Widianto.

The Kanjuruhan Stadium will be rebuilt in accordance with FIFA code.

Following a match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya in Malang, East Java, on Oct. 1, police responded to crowd disturbance by using tear gas on those in attendance.

The Associated Press cited eyewitnesses who said the police's use of tear gas led supporters to run away from the scene toward the stadium's exits, causing a crush. They also said some gates leading out of the stadium were locked.

Police spokesperson Dedi Prasetyo claimed the gates "were not closed but they were too small" and could only fit two people at a time.

An official investigation cited the use of tear gas as the inciting factor and that "police personnel on duty had no knowledge of the prohibition of tear gas at soccer matches," per Reuters. The investigation called said officers fired the tear gas "indiscriminately."

This wasn't the first instance of violence at a match in Indonesia, prompting the discussions over structural reforms with FIFA.

Widianto noted Indonesia is due to host the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2023 as well, an event that is likely to draw in fans from around the world.

"This is a football country, a country where football is a passion for over 100 million people," Infantino said. "We owe it to them that when they see a match they are safe and secure."