Bengaluru: What was meant to be a jubilant celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) maiden IPL title ended in a horrific tragedy on Wednesday evening, as a stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed the lives of 11 people and left more than 30 injured.
According to officials, the victims included several young men and women, many of whom were students who had come to witness history. The incident unfolded as a massive crowd, estimated between two to three lakh people, overwhelmed the stadium premises, far exceeding its capacity of 35,000.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed shock at the scale of the incident, stating, “The match happened last evening (Tuesday), and today (Wednesday) this event was organised by the cricket association, so no one had expected so many people to come.”
He pointed to lack of coordination and the unmanageable crowd as the key reasons behind the tragedy. “There are small gates. The people entered through the gates. They have also broken the gates, so a stampede has taken place. Nobody had expected so much of a crowd to come. Prima facie, it looks like that. I am not saying nothing has happened. The inquiry will bring out facts,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar described the situation as “absolutely uncontrollable,” noting that the turnout had exceeded every expectation. “There were over 1.5 lakh people at the gates, banging and eventually breaking through in some places. The attempt to enter the stadium resulted in the stampede,” he said.
Police officials reported that by afternoon, thousands of RCB fans had begun gathering around the stadium. By 3:30 PM, the crowd pressure had become so intense that all stadium gates had to be closed. An estimated 50,000 people had gathered within a 1-km radius of the venue, many of whom tried to push through gates or climb over barricades, triggering panic and chaos.
The state government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident, even as rescue teams and police worked late into the evening to manage the situation and provide aid to the injured.
