Crush At Indonesia Death Metal Concert Kills 10

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, ten young people were trampled or crushed to death (photos of the dead) as hundreds of music fans tried to force their way out of a concert Saturday night (February 9) by the Indonesian melodic death metal band BESIDE (band photo, MySpace page) in Bandung, Indonesia.

Witnesses told the local Pikiran Rakyat daily that people inside the packed venue (photos of the venue) were trying to escape the crush just as hundreds of others were surging their way inside.

"Ten people were killed, one of them has not yet been identified. Six other people were injured," Bandung police chief Bambang Suparsono told the Detikcom online news portal.

The dead are mostly teenagers. He said an investigation was underway into the incident late Saturday.

Detikcom, quoting another police officer, said the capacity of the building was for 700 people but that only around 400 attended the concert by BESIDE.

The concert was being held to launch BESIDE's latest album, "Against Ourselves".

However, Pikiran Rakyat said there were more than 1,500 people inside, which it said was about 500 more than the building's capacity.

"We have questioned 51 witnesses and three suspects," Suparsono said according to Detikcom. The three were all from the organizers, he said, and added that more "from the committee of the crew" could also join the three as suspects.

"The bodies of 10 people have been brought here but all but three have been taken by their family," said Toto, a staff member at the local hospital morgue where the dead were initially brought.

Suparsono said the crush occurred as people tried to leave the Asia Afrika Culture Center (AACC) in downtown Bandung.

"The results of the autopsies showed that most of the victims had suffered from breathing difficulties," the city police chief said, suggesting they were crushed to death.

One 19-year-old witness told Pikiran Rakyat: "Outside, there were hundreds of people pushing to enter. They were pushing at the gate.

"Inside, there were also a lot of people who wanted to leave because the hall was so packed that it was difficult to breathe."

Another witness said the venue was so crowded that he did not have enough room to bend down to retrieve a shoe which had come loose.

A third told the paper that while the band was playing, hundreds of people forced their way in, damaging the entrance lobby.

West Java Police Chief Susno Duaji was quoted by the Pikiran Rakyat as saying from the scene that police inside the building had asked the organizers to halt the concert because many of those in the venue had already fainted.

He confirmed most of the victims showed signs of lack of oxygen.

BESIDE's main musical influences are said to be such "Swedish melodic death metal" bands as SOILWORK, DARK TRANQUILLITY and early IN FLAMES.