Of the 125 killed in a football match in Indonesia, 32 were children.

Thirty-two children were among at least 125 people killed in a clash at a football match in Indonesia this weekend, according to officials, who see pressure mounting on the Southeast Asian country to explain how one of the world’s worst disasters happened. in stadiums.

Violence and vandalism have long been hallmarks of Indonesian football, especially in places like Jakarta, the country’s capital, but Saturday’s disaster in a small town in Java drew attention to the problem.

“My family and I didn’t think it would be like this,” said Endah Wahyuni, the older sister of two boys, Ahmad Cahyo, 15, and Muhammad Farel, 14, who died in the melee.

“They loved football but never watched Arema live at Kanjuruhan stadium, this was the first time,” she added at her brothers’ funeral on Sunday, referring to the home team they supported.

The boys are among 32 children killed, state news agency Antara said, citing figures from the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection.

Indonesian newspaper Koran Tempo published a black front page in Monday’s edition, centered on the words “Our Football Tragedy”, printed in red along with a list of the dead.

Saturday’s deadly crush came as panicked people tried to escape the packed stadium after police fired tear gas. The security force was trying to disperse fans of the home team who ran onto the field at the end of the match.

Hosts Arema FC had lost the match 3-2 to Persebaya Surabaya, although officials said tickets had not been issued to Persebaya fans due to security concerns.

The incident was a “dark day for all involved”, said FIFA, world football’s governing body, which asked Indonesian federation authorities for a report on the incident.

Its safety regulations say that firearms or “crowd control gas” cannot be used in matches.

Police and sports officials have been dispatched to the city of Malang to investigate the incident which is among the deadliest stadium disasters in the world.

“All those responsible must be held accountable for this disaster, regardless of their status or position,” Phil Robertson, deputy director for Asia at New York-based Human Rights Watch, said Monday.

“It is not enough for the national police and the Indonesian Football Association to conduct their own investigation, as they may be tempted to minimize or undermine the full responsibility of the officials involved,” it added in a statement.