Two killed in SEA Games football final stampede

JAKARTA: Two Indonesian football fans died in a stampede in Jakarta on Monday at the Southeast Asian Games final against Malaysia, according to a victim's brother and a report citing a paramedic.

Local media reported that several other spectators had been taken to hospital, including a nine-year-old boy who had fallen into a coma.

The two fans wearing Indonesian red-and-white team T-shirts were reportedly taken to hospital at 8:30 pm, around 90 minutes after the stampede broke out, as thousands streamed into the game.

"As we were entering the stadium, the crowd of people pushed each other to make their way forward," Helmi, the brother of one of the victims, told.

"My brother was pushed away from me and we were separated. I then heard that some people had fallen and that people had died. I rushed to check and found my brother dead."

The identity of the second victim was unknown.

Deadly stampedes at major sporting, music and religious events are common in Indonesia. (AFP)