Jakarta, May 28

Three people were killed and five badly injured when fans pelted each other with rocks and bricks in a violent clash at a football match in Indonesia, police said on Monday.

Fighting broke out on Sunday night at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, where the home team Persija Jakarta were playing rivals Persib Bandung in front of a packed house of 80,000.

It is the same venue where two people were killed in a stampede during a Southeast Asian Games match between Indonesia and long-standing rivals Malaysia last year.

"Three people died after a fight broke out among the crowd at a football match on Sunday night," National police spokesman Saud Usman Nasution told AFP. "We have so far identified one, who was wearing a Bandung jersey. He was a motorcycle taxi driver and was killed after being struck with a brick."

Jakarta police spokesman Rikwanto, who goes by one name, said security officers acted in line with standard procedures but police would tighten restrictions on issuing of football match permits.

Smaller stadiums might be used in future, he said.

Several incidents of violence have occurred in recent years at the stadium. Last year, fans let off flares and lobbed bottles at Bahrain’s national team after the visitors scored in a World Cup qualifier.