Two Indonesian soccer fans die in train accident

Two Indonesian soccer team's supporters died after falling from the roof of "Tawang Jaya" train on Pekalongan town's rail track, Central Java, on Friday. The victims were identified as Anik Abdullah, 17, of Bogel subdistrict, Jepara district, and Surono, 34, of Sidoarjo village, Sambirejo subdistrict, Sragen district, Central Java. The ill-fated young men were going by train after watching the second leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup's final match at Gelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta last Wednesday evening.

According to Ahmad Abdul Malik, the victims' friend, the accident occurred when Anik Abdullah and Surono were walking fast on the roof of the train. But unaware of a telephone cable of the Tirto railway safety gate of Pekalongan town they got stuck on the phone cable, he said. As a result, they fell to the ground and were carried by the moving train several meters before the train stopped, he said adding that they died on the spot of fatal injuries.

Ahmad Abdul Malik, 31, further said local residents had reported the accident to the police on their way back to Semarang, Central Java. He said his two friends moved to the roof instead of sitting inside the train as there were no place to sit.

"Their dead bodies were kept at Kraton general hospital's morgue," Malik said.
The second leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup`s final match was watched by over a hundred thousand soccer fans.

The Indonesian soccer team won the final match, held on Wednesday evening, with 2-1 but the championship trophy was grabbed by Malaysia with an aggregate victory of 4-2.

Garuda team members performed well from the beginning with the enthusiastic support of crowds of fans, including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and First Lady Ani Yudhoyono. In the first leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup's final in Kuala Lumpur on December 26, the Malaysian tiger crushed Garuda (eagle) 3-0. Actually Indonesia had beaten Malaysia in the cup's preliminary competition 5-1 in Jakarta.

But the performance of the Malayan tiger squad successfully improved and beat Vietnam in the cup's semifinal. Indonesia itself could get the final ticket after beating the Philippines in the first and second legs of the cup's semifinal at Gelora Bung Karno stadium. Indonesia's victory against the Philippines team in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup's semifinal last Sunday evening had revived the nation's pride but the "Red and White" squad was not successful in grabbing the AFF Suzuki Cup's trophy.