From Kolkata derby match to RCB's IPL win: After 45 years, India witnesses another sport related tragedy
Nearly 45 years apart, two tragic days, August 16, 1980 in Kolkata and June 4, 2025 in Bengaluru, serve as grim reminders of how the unifying joy of sport can turn into unimaginable disaster.
Back in 1980, the iconic Kolkata derby between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal at Eden Gardens (before the Salt Lake Stadium era) descended into chaos as violent clashes between rival supporters claimed 16 young lives.
On Wednesday, what was meant to be a historic celebration, Royal Challengers Bengaluru's first IPL title in 18 years, ended in heartbreak. As over a lakh fans gathered to catch a glimpse of their heroes, especially Virat Kohli, the victory parade turned deadly, with at least 11 fans losing their lives in a stampede.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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It was Eden Garden in 1980 and Garden City on Wednesday, that witnessed tragedy. And both could have been avoided.
On that fateful August afternoon at the Eden Gardens, more than 70,000 spectators had thronged the galleries and Mohun Bagan's speedy right winger Bidesh Basu was felled by East Bengal's side back Dilip Palit, who was notorious for his rough tackling.
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According to the reports of that time, the referee of that match, late Sudhin Chatterjee did not have control on the proceedings and once Bidesh and Dilip got into fisticuffs, the tension percolated in the stands.
Stone pelting broke out between supporters of both teams, and the Kolkata Police failed to anticipate the stampede-like situation that followed. As panic gripped the crowd, chaos ensued, with people running in all directions, desperate to escape.
A haunting black-and-white image from that day still lingers — fans clinging to the second tier of Eden Gardens, trying to avoid being trampled. Sixteen spectators, aged between 18 and 60, who had stepped out with joy and excitement to witness the derby, returned lifeless — their bodies brought back in matadors, as there were no hearse vans back then.
Today, the day is observed as 'Football Lovers' Day' in Kolkata. But on that fateful afternoon, law and order had collapsed, and the 'City of Joy' had nothing joyful left to offer.
On December 9, 2012, a similar kind of tragedy could have happened as things got out of hand during a Kolkata Derby with Mohun Bagan's Rahim Nabi being hit on forehead by a stone from the opposition team's stand. But the sight was East Bengal defender Arnab Mondal escorting the Mohun Bagan star to safety.
However, the match was abandoned and there was free for all on the streets of Eastern Metropolitan Bypass with as many as 40 people injured in clashes. There were policemen who were also injured in the scuffle with supporters of both sides.
There were two incidents back in 1969 during Australia's Test series in India in Kolkata (Eden Gardens) and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. The incident in Mumbai was after a debatable decision that saw the back of S Venkataraghavan. The spectators who were listening to All India Radio commentary were infuriated and wreaked havoc. There was fire in the stands but fortunately no deaths.
The stampede like situation at Eden Gardens had more to do with erstwhile corrupt officials of Cricket Association of Bengal, who had printed fake tickets above capacity and there were at least 20,000 people more.
The grapevine was that some of the CAB officials hid under their tables when police were trying to evacuate the spectators.
There was no live match but star struck youth wanting to get a glimpse of Virat Kohli led to this unmitigated and irreparable loss. Eleven lives lost and it could be more.
When these youngsters (including children) gathered at MG Road, Brigade Road, Cubbon Park or Vidhan Souda, it was all about passion and excitement to meet their heroes but the 11 set of parents will have to live with this tragedy that could have been avoided.
Other major spectator deaths during sporting events:
Hillsborough Disaster (1989): A stampede at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, resulted in 97 deaths and hundreds of injuries during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. It is still one of the worst of all crowd death incidents related to sports.
Heysel Stadium Disaster (1985): A stadium wall collapsed at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, leading to the deaths of 39 supporters during the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus.
Lima Stadium Riots (1964): In terms of death toll, this is the biggest sporting crowd tragedy in the last 60 years. It was an Olympic Qualifier between Argentina and Peru. There were riots leading to more than 300 people getting killed and nearly 1000 injured.
Luzhniki Stadium Crush (1982): It was a UEFA Cup match between Spartak Moscow and Haarlem FC and 66 fans died, mostly teenagers making it the biggest sporting tragedy in Russian history.
Houphouet-Boigny Stampede (2009): 19 fans died and 135 seriously injured in a stampede during a World Cup qualifier between Ivory Coast and Malawi in Abidjan.
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The government has so far deflected all questions on the role of political leadership in the tragedy. Police officers that ThePrint spoke to said that it was on the insistence of political leaders that the celebrations took place. Meanwhile, opposition parties have questioned Siddaramaiah over 'making scapegoats' out of the suspended police officers. 'CM @siddaramaiah avare, People of Karnataka are demanding justice, not scapegoats,' R. Ashoka, leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka assembly, wrote in a post. CM @siddaramaiah avare, People of Karnataka are demanding justice, not scapegoats. ಮಾನ್ಯ ಸಿಎಂ ಸಿದ್ದರಾಮಯ್ಯನವರೇ, ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಜನತೆ ನ್ಯಾಯ ಕೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ, ಹರಕೆಯ ಕುರಿಗಳನ್ನಲ್ಲ. — R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) June 5, 2025 The state BJP president, B.Y. Vijayendra also posted: 'CM Siddaramaiah and his government, instead of taking accountability for the entire tragedy, are now attempting to deflect blame and make scapegoats out of the already overburdened police personnel—despite the fact that these officials had initially denied permission and were eventually overruled by political directives…' CM Siddaramaiah and his government, instead of taking accountability for the entire tragedy, are now attempting to deflect blame and make scapegoats out of the already overburdened police personnel – despite the fact that these officials had initially denied permission and were… — Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) June 5, 2025 The BJP has accused the government of not heeding to the advice of the police to not hold such celebrations, and then suspending the latter itself. 'How unfair is it to first ignore the well-reasoned advice of the police department, and now unjustly pinning the blame squarely on them? CM Siddaramaiah, DCM DK Shivakumar, and Home Minister @DrParameshwara bear complete responsibility for this tragic episode. They must own up their failure and resign from their positions in the larger interest of the state and its people,' Vijayenendra added. (Edited by Mannat Chugh) Also Read: Bengaluru stampede tragedy: What science tells us about crowd control
