The North News
Bengaluru, June 4
At least 11 people lost their lives in a tragic stampede outside Bengaluru’s iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday evening, as thousands of cricket fans surged towards the venue to catch a glimpse of their heroes – the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team – who were being felicitated for their historic maiden IPL title win.
While chaos unfolded outside the stadium, where desperate fans pushed against barriers and climbed trees in hope of witnessing the celebration, the event inside reportedly continued for several minutes. The felicitation ceremony, attended by top officials including Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, was only cut short once the extent of the tragedy became apparent. Officials later said the program was concluded within 10 minutes, according to the media reports.
The RCB team had secured a win over Punjab Kings in the final on Tuesday, and Wednesday’s event was meant to be a jubilant celebration. Instead, it turned into a scene of panic and loss.
By 4.45 pm, the situation spiralled out of control at the entrance gates, as visuals showed fans scaling buses, pushing through narrow checkpoints, and overwhelming the available security arrangements. Several people were crushed in the crowd, while others sustained injuries in the stampede, the media reports highlighted.
More than 20 people have been hospitalised at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in Shivajinagar and Vydehi Super Speciality Hospital on Vittal Mallya Road. The exact number of injured remains unclear. The tragic scenes have prompted urgent questions about whether adequate arrangements were made to control the crowd, especially given the massive turnout that was expected.
