Indonesian leader says locked gates contributed to deaths

MALANG, Indonesia, Oct 05 (AP): Indonesia's President Joko Widodo said on Wednesday that locked gates had contributed to the crush at the soccer stadium that left 131 dead and over 400 injured when police fired tear gas and set off a panicked run for the exits.
Widodo made the statement after touring the Kanjuruhan soccer stadium in East Java's Malang city for a first-hand look at the scene of one of the world's deadliest disasters at a sporting event. He also visited the victims recovering at Saiful Anwar General Hospital and pledged a thorough investigation into what had transpired on Saturday night.
Police continued to insist that the gates were open but were too narrow and could only accommodate two people at a time when hundreds were trying to escape.
Indonesia's national soccer association said that because of a lack of workers, only a few people were ordered to open the gates, and they had not yet reached some doors when spectators began rushing to escape tear gas fired by police in an attempt to control fans who had entered the pitch.
Police acted after some of the 42,000 Arema FC fans ran onto the field in anger after their team was defeated 3-2, its first loss at home against visiting Persebaya Surabaya in 23 years.
"As an illustration, I saw the problem was there are locked doors, steep stairs and panic," Widodo said in a news conference. "But all of this will be concluded later by an inquiry team."