Major stadium disasters over the years - a timeline of tragic incidents in sport
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's maiden Indian Premier League title triumph turned tragic when 11 people lost their lives in a stampede during victory celebrations outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The deceased had gathered around the stadium, waiting for entry inside to catch a glimpse of the winning RCB team, but the uncontrollable crowd resulted in the fatalities as several scores of people got injured.
There have been similar tragic incidents in sport involving fans across countries, either caused by a stampede, clashes with the police, or structural collapses inside a stadium.
Happy Valley Racecourse fire (1918)
More than a century ago, Hong Kong witnessed a horrific fire at the Happy Valley Racecourse which claimed more than 600 lives. Several accounts of the tragedy online suggest that it was caused when the stands at the club, made largely of bamboo and wood, collapsed and caught fire after coming in contact with food stalls at the venue.
Estadio Nacional disaster (1964)
Lima was hosting Argentina in an Olympic qualifying football match. Argentina was leading when an equaliser was disallowed by the referee. This sparked spectators throng the field in anger which saw the local police resort to tear gas. According to The Guardian, at least 263 people, including women and children, lost their lives.
Hillsborough disaster (1989)
One of the most fatal stadium incidents in Britain's history, the Hillsborough disaster took place in April 1989 during an FA Cup semifinal match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. It occurred when thousands of fans, trying to enter the stadium, were asked to wait in a small waiting pen. Due to paucity of space and overcrowding, 97 people lost their lives, many due to suffocation.
Indonesia stadium tragedy (2022)
At least 174 people died at an Indonesian football stadium when thousands of angry home fans invaded the pitch and police responded with tear gas that triggered a stampede. The tragedy in the city of Malang, which also left 180 injured, was one of the world's deadliest sporting stadium disasters.
Arema FC supporters at the Kanjuruhan stadium stormed the pitch after their team lost 3-2 to the visiting team and bitter rival, Persebaya Surabaya.
Police, who described the unrest as 'riots', said they tried to force fans to return to the stands and fired tear gas after two officers were killed.
Liverpool parade (2025)
Several Liverpool supporters were recently severely injured when a van rammed into them during celebrations surrounding the team winning England's Premier League this season for a record-tying 20th top-flight title.
As the parade was wrapping up, a minivan turned down a cordoned-off street just off the parade route and ploughed into the sea of fans wrapped in their red Liverpool scarves, jerseys and other memorabilia. A video on social media showed the van strike a man, tossing him in the air, before veering into a larger crowd, where it ploughed a path through the group and pushed bodies along the street before coming to a stop.
According to BBC, more than 100 people were left injured.
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Time of India
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