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    Tragedy hits SEA Games leaving two dead

    By Jeanette Tan (Jakarta) and Satish Cheney (Singapore)


    Tragedy has struck the SEA Games in Indonesia, with two fans dead following a stampede at the football final.

    The stampede is believed to have occurred as thousands of fans flooded into Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno Stadium about half an hour before the 7:30pm (Indonesia time) match between bitter rivals Indonesia and Malaysia, according to reports.

    Spectators who could not enter the 80,000-seat stadium set fire to two ticket booths and the police had to fire warning shots to break up the rowdy crowd, reported AFP.

    One of the two fatalities has been identified by Indonesian media as 20-year-old Reno, a drummer for a popular artiste in Indonesia. The second victim is a Kusmanto from the Cililitan district in eastern Jakarta.

    Another 10 people have been hospitalised, according to local news agency Tempo.

    It took almost two hours for the bodies to be evacuated from the stadium, with the roads nearby jam-packed with thousands of vehicles.

    More than 100,000 people crammed the stadium to watch the match, which saw Indonesia defeated, while thousands of others surrounded it watching it on screens outside.

    Indonesian security officials help evacuate supporters over a fence during the stampede. (AFP photo)

    At the final, Indonesia and Malaysia were held at a 1-all stalemate, broken after 30 minutes of extra time by a penalty shootout, which Malaysia won 4-3.

    There were already security concerns over the weekend regarding Monday's football final.

    Fans burnt down a ticket booth on Sunday and stood outside Jakarta's pyramid building, where its media press centre was located, in the hopes of securing themselves tickets. Calls for calm by the organisers before the match were also made on local radio and television on Monday.

    Indonesian police helping a boy stuck in the stampede. ( AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)


    Earlier on Sunday, Malaysia's Deputy Sports Minister Razali Ibrahim blamed opposition leaders for the bad reception Malaysian athletes were getting from Indonesian sports fans, according to political website Malaysiakini.

    "Why is it that they reserve such hatred for us? Why not Thailand? Why not others? It is not because of the perceived maltreatment of Indonesians locally.In my opinion, it is because opposition leaders have been making a bee line for Indonesia to bad mouth our country," said the minister.

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    263 comments

    • Rhey  •  6 months ago
      Life is more important than football!
      • Noble 6 months ago
        Exactly, they juz refuse to understand this simple statement.
      • Esan 6 months ago
        Yes, to you. But to the football fans football is more important than life.

        Just like our stupid policies. They are willing to spend millions to import FTs sport men and women to represents our country but not willing to help our poor old men and women who are trying hard to make a living by selling tissue papers.
      • Sedih Hati 6 months ago
        eat ball....sleep ball....live ball.....
    • Tan Sri Zee  •  6 months ago
      Razali Ibrahim? what has it got to do between football and opposition leaders? Keep out politics from sports.
      • mangkuk hayun 6 months ago
        i guess wat razali ibrahim meant was for indonesian opposition, not malaysian.
      • AizenSousuke 6 months ago
        politics is already in sports :/
      • an iraz 6 months ago
        my god.. what he meant was the indonesian leaders laah. read properly before commenting.
    • Chew Beng Leong  •  6 months ago
      It's a sad day for football. May the souls of the dead rest in peace.
      • shahrizat 6 months ago
        RIP. Oh but what a painful death it must have been.
    • Dessy  •  6 months ago
      I'm Indonesian but then I didn't hate Malaysian at all .. Why should people fight over a stupid football game ? Don't be kiasu la .. -.-'' Why so racist ? No malay or no Indo -.-'' Please la .. We are all HUMAN but of course we all have different belief and race , we all different in a way .. If we are all the same , I bet you will feel bored -.-'' People , you should understand what it means by PEACE ! Without peace I bet more people will die .
      • OrangAsli 6 months ago
        I like you Dessy. The world is lack of people like you. I'm a Malaysian & i can tell you that some of my fellow countryman sucks big time.
      • Hope 6 months ago
        The SEA Games should unite the 11 countries. Either we are pro our govts or not when comes to sport we should put our political views aside. Anyway both countries played good football. Both deserved GOLD medal.
      • arwana_98 6 months ago
        PEACE? enggak pernah ku dengar tuan rumah membakar dan boo ketika lagu kebangsaan negara lain dimainkan.. baru sekali ini di negara yang tidak bertamaddun
    • nang boti nang  •  6 months ago
      I'm not surprise at all and it is not a new issue to these Indonesian...the questions are how to educate to all these people? Their not stupid people but their actions to risk their life and others are really stupid idiot.
      • David Lim 6 months ago
        These stupid ppl r everywhere in asia
      • nur 6 months ago
        yeah and all over the world david. including your country, wherever it is
      • Lawrence 6 months ago
        ehhhhh... why there is a need to insult each other's country.
    • Aida Gee  •  6 months ago
      Malaysia damn hooligans...Look what happen during the world cup qualifier? They mess up the stadium after being kick out by the Lion !
    • Xyz  •  6 months ago
      So sad.....but y they hate Malaysia so much? If they come to Malaysia for football match, we will welcome them with open arms...(to watch football only ya..not to be permanent resident...hehe)...anyway, RIP for all victims, to all Indonesian Fan, LOVE & PEACE from us, Malaysian Football Fan
    • ShirleyAnn  •  6 months ago
      Someone has to resign from his post cause he talk too much nonsense and not fit to be in this post! We need a brainy please!
    • stagong  •  6 months ago
      Can politic leave sports alone..?? PLEASE......
    • finnie  •  6 months ago
      my condolence goes to the families.. It's tragic..
      It's just that the deputy minister shouldn't say that statement, what the opposition got to do with the whole situation? COME ON!! Really? Pathetic!!
    • Freshie  •  6 months ago
      It was real fun to watch the game with shouts and jeers and aiyos. It was quite sad that lives were taken. The game played yesterday was really rough and lack of sportsmanship. Is this the game to be played that way,. It's not necessary to trip others all the time and purposely make foul moves. Where did they learn it from and win with casulties. Better change and win with better clean skills and tactical moves.
    • Osama Abdul  •  6 months ago
      Life cannot be replaceble, love and respct them.
    • 小 Lee 飛刀  •  6 months ago
      Soccer for man is the most popular sport of all times, require alot of teamwork, physcial fitness and tactics like a team of soldier going for war to protect the national pride, that make people crazy on soccer. Rest in peace fans.
    • Limms  •  6 months ago
      Stupid d.s.m razali ibrahim , you are a no brain minister but full of dungs, you should promote peace and harmony with neighboring countries instead of putting the blame on
      others Anything you can't handle, you blame it on others. You are a real shit.
    • Robin  •  6 months ago
      Human lives lost and the game goes on. What is the purpose of the game then? For medal ? to outshine each other in the name of game? When humans turn ugly, do not blame the above for ruining us with the earthquakes and tsunamis. Since we do not cherish our lives and the Earth, no wonder the date of destruction draws near. No point crying over spill milk then as we humans never learn our lessons.
    • Zinnirah Abdullah  •  6 months ago
      Don't involve any political issue in sport (including football). People are sad and hope that misunderstanding and conflict between Malaysia & Indonesia come to an end (solve). So don't put fuel in this dispute anymore and make the problem bigger.
    • su  •  6 months ago
      tak fahamlah. kenapa ade rakyat indonesia kata, mereka layan kita dengan buruk sebab kita layan pekerja mereka dengan buruk? dah tahu kita rakyat malaysia ade yang layan mereka dengan buruk,, dah tu,, kenapa datang lagi? PATI melambak-lambak. pastu salahkan kita lagi? kita bantu mereka, bagi kerja, bagi bantuan masa tsunami... bagi bantuan masa gempa bumi,,, dan kita masih lagi dipersalahkan. dan semua salah kita, rakyat indonesia sahajalah yang betul. saya rasa.. yang buat onar semua tu sebab diorang takde kerja lah. sebab tu dok bakar dan menyusahkan rakyat malaysia. ade ke yang buat onar tu orang kaya-kaya? orang kaya pun tahu jangan bazir masa. Masa itu Emas. Rasa saya lah, orang indonesia yang kaya-kaya tu takdenye nak buat kacau bilau camtu. orang kaya indonesia lebih ramai daripada orang kaya di malaysia. ni yang buat pasal semua sebab dah takde keje. dah takde keje, pastu tak dapat kerja kat malaysia, tu yang dok marah benor.
    • Money  •  6 months ago
      Razali Ibrahim is the most stupid deputy sports minister in the world
    • stevan  •  6 months ago
      Let us just pay respects to the deceased fans and stop all the mockery. peace !!
    • Manggy  •  6 months ago
      Do we have any minister in the cabinet who talks some sense every time time they open the mouth? It is only rubbish dung comes out. Razali Ibrahim can you make comments about MAAU fiasco and how Vietnam slipped quietly into top 3 in the SEA games medals tally pushing Malaysia to 4th place. May this be due to the Opposition conspiracy?

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