Indonesia will establish an independent fact-finding team to investigate the deadly soccer stampede at a stadium in East Java and identify the perpetrators, Chief Security Minister Mahfud MD told a news conference on Monday.

Indonesia's Arema soccer club apologized to victims of the deadly stampede on Monday, with its president Gilang Widya Pramana stating he was ready to take full responsibility for the event.

At least 125 people were killed in the soccer stampede in the Indonesian city of Malang on the weekend, officials said, in one of the world's worst stadium disasters.

Fatalities among children have climbed to 32, from an earlier count of 17, a government official said on Monday.

The police chief of Malang has been removed from his position, a national police spokesperson, Dedi Prasetyo, told a televised press conference on Monday.

"Based on the investigation carried out... tonight the national police chief has made a decision to relieve Malang Police Chief Ferli Hidayat from his duty and replace him."

(With input from agencies)