A joyful celebration turned tragic in Bengaluru when a stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium led to the de*th of 11 people. The incident occurred during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory celebration after winning their first IPL title. Thousands of fans had gathered, far more than expected, hoping to see their favourite players, including Virat Kohli and team captain Rajat Patidar.
The crowd was not limited to the stadium area. Large numbers also assembled at Vidhana Soudha where the RCB team was first honored by the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Deputy CM D K Shivakumar. After the felicitation, the players moved to the stadium for more festivities, including musical performances and speeches.
However, the overwhelming crowd became uncontrollable. According to a senior police officer, repeated public announcements and advisories to disperse were ignored, with people determined to reach the venue regardless of safety concerns.
Virat Kohli expressed his sorrow online, saying he was “at a loss for words” and “absolutely gutted”, sharing RCB’s official statement on the incident.
The official statement from Royal Challengers Bengaluru read:
“We are deeply anguished by the unfortunate incidents that have come to light through media reports regarding public gatherings all over Bengaluru in anticipation of the team’s arrival this afternoon. The safe and well-being of everyone is of utmost importance to us.
RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extend our heartfelt condolences to the affected families.
Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our program, and followed, the guidance and advice of the local administration.
We urge all our supporters to please stay safe”
Here is the post:
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia criticised the event’s poor planning and offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. He emphasised that with an event of such scale and the massive fan following of cricketers, the organisers should have ensured better safety and crowd control. He called the tragedy a bitter ending to what had been a historic win for the team.
What was meant to be a day of celebration for the city and RCB fans has now become a moment of mourning, with many questioning how such a preventable tragedy was allowed to happen.
