At least 33 children were among those killed in a stampede at an Indonesian football stadium at the weekend, an official confirmed on Tuesday.

The youngest identified out of the 125 people killed was a toddler about three or four years old, said an official, a deputy at the Ministry for Women Empowerment and Child Protection.

“This still can change because we have not received all the information from families of the victims,’’ the official told dpa.

The national police earlier on Monday sacked the Malang district police chief, Ferli Hidayat, as part of an investigation into the stampede on Saturday at the Kanjuruhan Stadium.

This is among the world’s worst sports disasters.

Nine other commanding officers were suspended and questioned on suspicion of ordering security personnel to fire tear gas inside the stadium.

However, chaos erupted after thousands of fans invaded the pitch as hosts Arema FC lost 3-2 to rival East Java club Persebaya Surabaya.

Police fired tear gas to quell the pitch invaders, sending spectators scrambling to the exit gates.

The deadly stampede prompted Indonesian President Joko Widodo to order the suspension of the top-flight Liga 1 competition pending a review.

The police said most of the victims died of a lack of oxygen and from being trampled during the stampede. 

Officials also said more than 300 people were seriously injured.

The use of tear gas raised questions about whether security personnel had followed proper procedures in dealing with a crowd inside a stadium.

 (dpa/NAN)