Bengaluru stampede: BCCI had nothing to do with victory parade, says secretary
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia has expressed his condolences over the loss of lives during a stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team felicitation event at the venue following their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title win.
"BCCI feels sad and prays for the families of the deceased and our condolences are with them. What happened in Bengaluru is unfortunate; every life is precious. This is an RCB event. BCCI was not related with it in any manner as we are only accountable till the closing ceremony. We conducted it so well, handling more than one lakh people at the Narendra Modi Stadium," he told ANI.
He also added that while the victory parade of the T20 World Cup-winning Indian team was held last year, "none of such news came as we planned all things and were in talks with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and with the authorities".
"Proper security was arranged at that time," he said.
Karnataka government to compensate
Eleven people have been killed and 33 injured in the stampede, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said at a press conference. The Karnataka government has announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of people killed in the stampede.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the government will also provide free treatment to the injured.
"A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured," the CM said.
Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, CM Siddaramaiah said, "11 died and 33 were injured in the stampede. This tragedy should not have happened. The government expresses deep sorrow over this incident."
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