The Football Association of Indonesia and FIFA, international football's governing body, will form a joint task force with the goal of improving crowd control and safety measures after a deadly stampede earlier this month killed scores of people.
As reported by Reuters, Indonesian authorities are under pressure to take swift steps to overhaul safety standards following one of the worst stadium disasters in history — the deadly crowd crush at an Oct. 1 match at the Kanjuruhan stadium in East Java.
Related: At least 174 Killed in Crowd Crush at Indonesian Soccer Match
Security experts have said the firing of tear gas by police inside the stadium, a measure prohibited by FIFA, triggered the fatal stampede, Reuters reported..
"We agreed to form a task force, or soccer transformation task force, consisting of the government, FIFA, and experts in soccer, security, and stadiums," Football Association of Indonesia head Mochamad Iriawan told reporters after a meeting with FIFA officials.
Under the plans, Indonesian police would ensure their standard operating procedures were synchronized with FIFA regulations, he said.
The joint task force will also include members of the Asian Football Confederation, as well as the police and the mteainistries of sport, home affairs, health and public works.
According to Reuters, Indonesian president Joko Widodo has said FIFA did not plan to sanction his country over the incident, but the rare intervention by the sport's governing body comes as Indonesia is due to host the FIFA under-20 World Cup next year.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is expected to visit Jakarta on Tuesday to meet with Widodo, after which a joint announcement of commitment is expected.
Infantino will also make a statement during a summit of leaders of the Group of 20 major economies in Bali in November about Indonesia's readiness to host an international event, Reuters reported.
Six people including police and match organizers are facing criminal charges after the stampede. Lax safety measures cited by the government include an overcrowded stadium that featured exit locked doors.
The Indonesian minister of public works said that the Kanjuruhan stadium would be completely renovated after an audit of the site.
