Seventeen children among the dead in Indonesian football stampede

Police and sport officials have being sent to the city of Malang to investigate an incident that ranks among the world's deadliest stadium disasters

At least seventeen children were among the 125 people killed in a football stampede in Indonesia at the weekend, officials said, as pressure builds on the Southeast Asian nation to explain how one of the world's worst stadium disasters unfolded.

Violence and hooliganism have long been features of Indonesian football, especially in places such as Jakarta, the capital, but Saturday's disaster in a small town in Java has thrown a spotlight on the problem.

"My family and I didn't think it would turn out like this," said Endah Wahyuni, the elder sister of two boys, Ahmad Cahyo (15) and Muhammad Farel (14) who died after being caught in the melee.

"They loved soccer, but never watched Arema live at Kanjuruhan stadium, this was their first time," she added at her brothers' funeral on Sunday, referring to the home side they backed.

The boys were among 17 children killed, said state news agency Antara, citing figures from the women's empowerment and child protection ministry.

"Seventeen children died and seven were treated, but there is a possibility that could increase," said Nahar, a ministry official.

Indonesian daily Koran Tempo ran a black front page on Monday, centred on the words "Our Football Tragedy", printed in red along with a list of the dead.