Indonesian leader says locked gates contributed to deaths

By AGOES BASOEKI
Associated Press

MALANG, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo says 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 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 at the hospital and pledged a thorough investigation into what had transpired on Saturday night. Police 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 blamed delays in unlocking the gates.