Why were stadium doors allegedly shut during the emergency?

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Stadium Doors Allegedly Shut Amidst Emergency Amidst Conflicting Reports

Witness accounts suggest that some doors at Kanjuruhan Stadium may have been closed during the emergency, contributing to the deadly crush that claimed 131 lives. A 16-year-old survivor stated that the doors were shut, leading to a dangerous push among attendees attempting to exit. However, a commissioner from the National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM), Albertus Wahyurudhanto, indicated that there was no instruction to lock the doors, suggesting a potential discrepancy in the accounts or actions taken during the chaos.
Witness Accounts of Closed Doors Exacerbating the Crush

Survivors have described a harrowing scene where closed doors intensified the panic and the subsequent stampede. According to a 16-year-old who was present, the inability to exit through these apparent closures forced people to push against each other, with some resorting to lying down near a gate in a desperate attempt to escape the overwhelming pressure. This assertion points to a critical failure in the stadium's emergency egress procedures.
Official Statements and Ongoing Investigations

While witness testimonies highlight the issue of closed doors, official statements have offered a different perspective. Albertus Wahyurudhanto, a commissioner of the National Commission of Human Rights, stated that no instructions were given to lock the doors. This suggests that the closures, if they occurred, might not have been intentional acts but could potentially stem from other factors, such as security personnel's actions or a misunderstanding of protocols during the escalating situation.
Broader Context of Security Lapses and Crowd Control

The alleged closure of stadium doors occurred within a context of significant security concerns and controversial crowd control measures. Indonesian officials acknowledged that approximately 4,000 more tickets were allocated than the stadium's capacity should have allowed, indicating an initial oversight in managing attendance. Furthermore, the response to the pitch invasion, which included the firing of tear gas into packed stands by police, has been widely criticized by survivors and is itself a subject of intense investigation. These combined factors created a volatile environment where safety protocols, including the proper functioning of exits, may have been compromised.

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Why were stadium doors allegedly shut during the emergency?

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