Over a dozen people died late Sunday night in a stampede at an overcrowded boxing match in eastern Indonesia. On Monday morning, authorities put the death toll at 18. At least 32 other people were injured.
Authorities believe the stampede at Kota Lama Sport Stadium in Papua province was sparked when spectators started fighting over the result of the match. Hundreds of people panicked and tried to escape the violence by running for the two exits. The 18 victims were trampled to death in the chaos. Police and soldiers eventually stopped the riot. Thirteen people were detained for questioning, but no arrests were made.
According to Hendrik Andoi, the head of the Nabire Amateur Boxing Association, Kota Lama Stadium seats 1,000 people. On Sunday night, some 1,500 people were in the stadium. It was the last night of the Bupati (Regent) Cup Championships, which started on July 9.
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