Lab Test Results: Tear Gas Triggers Death

The results of laboratory tests confirmed that there were other components in the tear gas at the Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang, East Java.

KOMPAS/DEFRI WERDIONO

Banners demanding to thoroughly investigate the Kanjuruhan tragedy are still plastered at a number of points in the Kanjuruhan Stadium area, Malang, East Java, on Thursday (20/10/2022).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The Kompas daily investigation team obtained two documents from laboratory testing of tear-gas samples fired by police at Kanjuruhan Stadium after the Arema FC match against Persebaya Surabaya at the BRI Liga 1 Indonesia on Saturday (1/10/2022). The results of the tests in these two laboratories revealed that apart from the CS compound, which is the main component of tear gas, at least four other compounds were found.

The results of a laboratory test at a state university in East Java found that the main component of tear gas was O-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile as much as 49.6 percent. This compound is known as CS. However, there were four co-components found in the decomposition of CS, namely 2-chlorobenzaldehyde (36.5 percent), 0-chloropropylbenzene (11.6 percent), benzene (1.2 percent) and benzyl dichloride or p-Chlorobenzyl chloride (1.1 percent).

According to a laboratory researcher with the initials AKS, the four associated components of the tear-gas sample (in the form of powder) fired at the Kanjuruhan Stadium are toxic, flammable, causing damage to organs and under certain conditions can lead to death. “All these compounds can trigger cancer. When exposed to gas, it will become a dangerous compound," said AKS when met at his campus, on Wednesday (2/11). The sample tested was tear gas found in the north stands of Kanjuruhan Stadium.

Worsening

According to AKS, CS can break down into four hazardous compounds due to improper storage, expiration and changes in humidity. This follow-up compound was identified after researchers dissolved the powder from tear gas and put it into a gas chromatography mass spectrometer. "In the 29th minute, we got the spectra of this compound," said AKS.

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Another factor that exacerbated the impact of tear gas was the timing of the shooting at night. The decomposition of tear-gas substances at night, according to AKS, is slower than during the day due to the influence of air temperature.

The results of the laboratory test at one of the state universities in East Java were confirmed by testing ten samples of tear gas in a laboratory belonging to a government-research institute. From the laboratory-test results document obtained by Kompas, one of the items in the research minutes stated that of all the samples tested, there were other compounds that were thought to be the result of the decomposition of CS gas. However, there was no explanation of the name of the other compound. The treatise mentions the possibility of adding other compounds to ten tear-gas samples.

The ten samples of tear gas tested in the laboratory belonging to this government-research institute came from the East Java Police Mobile Brigade Unit, Shabara Polres Malang and Arema FC supporters. The samples were plain-green tear-gas ammunition, plain purple, plain red, 4-millimeter caliber flashball-powder ammunition (red), 4 mm smoke-flashball ammunition (yellow), plain-blue ammunition, tear-gas device casings, plain-silver ammunition, ammunition-silver GL-2303/L and CS-flashball ammunition.

The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) considers tear gas as the trigger for the death toll in Kanjuruhan.

When examining at three hospitals in Malang, it was found that the condition of the deceased victims generally experienced hypoxia (lack of oxygen). Some of the surviving victims experienced eye irritation, shortness of breath, itchy throat, red eyes and wounds to the chest, hands and feet.

Doctor M Harun Al Rasyid from Wava Husada General Hospital Kepanjen, Malang, said he believed that the victims who died in Kanjuruhan were due to exposure to tear gas. Wava Husada Hospital is the hospital that received the most deaths. From the medical team's observation, the victim died with a blue-black skin condition with irritation to the eyes.

"Of course, based on the doctor's diagnosis and observations of the victims admitted to the hospital, the cause of death was tear gas," said Harun.

Harun's belief is in line with the condition of the victims who died in the stands, not in the exit hall. One of them was Syahrullah (18), a resident of Gondanglegi, Malang Regency, East Java. Syahrullah's body was found by his colleagues in the 13th tribune in a crouched position with a blue face.

HERYUNANTO

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The victim's cousin, Syakur (42), explained that there were no injuries on the victim’s body. The family did not believe Syahrullah died because he was pinned at the exit. "His body was intact, his body looked blue," said Syakur.

Surrounded

In addition to the laboratory-test results, Kompas also received footage from the Kanjuruhan Stadium monitoring camera (CCTV). From about 300 pieces of video showing, tear-gas shooting occurred inside and outside the stadium. Most of the water-gas eruptions directed to the south stands of the stadium starting at 22.08.59. Gas fumes in the stands could be seen in the video that showed the direction toward the door 13 at 22.12.38.

Tear gas was also fired at the field starting at 22.09.08 from the front of the VVIP tribune toward the field on the northeast side. Tear gas also fell at door 2 in the north stand at 22.21.20 from outside the stadium. This shot sparked panic from the crowd who were already outside and entered the stadium again.

KOMPAS/DEFRI WERDIONO

Interfaith prayer in front of the lion statue at the Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang, East Java, Friday (7/10/2022) afternoon, on the seven days of the Kanjuruhan tragedy that killed hundreds of Aremania supporters.

The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) considers tear gas as the trigger for the death toll in Kanjuruhan. "As a direct cause or an indirect cause," said M Choirul Anam, commissioner of Komnas HAM.

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Doni Monardo, a member of the Joint Independent Fact-Finding Team (TGIPF), suspected that the tear gas that was fired at the audience was poisonous and deadly, because in the report received by TGIPF until Tuesday (8/11), there had been no deaths from the field area. All reports of casualty deaths came from the spectator stands, where most of the tear gas was targeted. Doni asked the police to take the initiative to check the content of tear gas. If any dangerous content is found, it should be immediately withdrawn from circulation.

When confirmed, the Director of General Criminal Investigation at the East Java Police, Sr. Comr. Totok Suharyanto, denied that there were other compounds in the tear gas in Kanjuruhan. "The tear gas is classified as a non-toxic compound, but it causes irritation to the skin and eyes," he said.

DHANANG DAVID ARITONANG

A resident shows a photo of tear gas shooting towards the stands on the south side of the Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang, East Java, on Wednesday (9/11/2022).

The commander of the East Java Police Mobile Brigade Unit, Guruh Arif Darmawan, explained that his personnel used tear gas made by PT Pindad. "It's all from PT Pindad," said Guruh.

Through a short message, PT Pindad President Director Abraham Mose admitted that he did not know the chemical composition of Pindad's tear gas. "Later. Just ask my engineer," he replied. PT Pindad's website states that the tear gas they produce contains CS powder with the effect of contaminating eye irritation and skin irritation. (FAI/DVD/IRE/WER/DIA/NDY)

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi