TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Investigators from the National Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim) comprising personnel from the internal affairs and special research unit have interrogated the police officers who were directly involved in the build-up to the tragedy at the Kanjuruhan Stadium, where a post-football match stampede killed more than 120 people on Saturday, October 1, 2022.

"Eighteen personnel have been questioned, who were responsible for operating the tear gas launchers. They were questioned by Internal Affairs and the research unit,” said the National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo on Monday, October 3, 2022.

Dedi also revealed that investigators have studied the statements from officers to mid-level officers regarding security measures in the derby match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya. Police forensic team is also analyzing the footage from 32 CCTVs installed across the football stadium facility.

The Police's INAFIS forensics team in cooperation with the disaster victim investigation (DVI) unit has identified 125 bodies from the Kanjuruhan incident.

The Kanjuruhan tragedy occurred after the Arema FC and Persebaya match ended at the Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang, East Java. Host team Arema lost the match with a score of 2-3.

The wide array of amateur video footage that has spread across social media shows security forces firing tear gas at one of the stadium's tribunes, which seated thousands of supporters and caused the fans to run for safety to the narrow exit routes, causing a stampede that resulted in casualties.

In that incident, the supporters also vandalized and burned a number of police vehicles inside and outside the Kanjuruhan Stadium.

ANTARA/HAMDAN CHOLIFUDIN ISMAIL

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