Jakarta
(AsiaNews) - At least 18 people - including 12
women - were killed in Indonesia in a stampede sparked by a brawl
at the end of a boxing match. The
incident took place last night at
the Kota Lama stadium in Nabire
(West Papua province), where thousands of people were watching a boxing match.
At the end of the fight, supporters
of the losing boxer
began to contest the result. The group then began to sip
up seating and attack rival fans. Most of
the victims died in the brawl
or were trampled by
the fleeing crowd.
In an official statement, the Indonesian government expressed its
condolences for the incident. Djoko
Suyanto, Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs,
has ordered an investigation and called
on police and the armed forces to
combat the growing violence in the area.
According to initial reports there were
more than a thousand people inside the stadium, although the maximum capacity was of just 800 people.