Latest news with #ChandrashekharRaju
Mint
4 days ago
- Sport
- Mint
Bengaluru stampede kills 11: ‘Crowd 3 times larger than expected stormed venue'
A scattered pile of shoes, sandals, and bits of what seemed to be sportswear marked the aftermath of a tragic stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru which claimed the lives of 11 people and left 33 others injured. This incident happened after an unexpected surge of 2–3 lakh people gathered outside the stadium to celebrate RCB's historic first-ever IPL title victory, overwhelming a venue which had the capacity to accommodate only 35,000. The crowd far exceeded the available space and security arrangements. Many youths managed to climb branches of huge trees and frenzied young men clung to poles and even scaled huge walls to gain entry into the stadium to catch a glimpse of their stars, all at the same time, as reported by PTI. The crowd turned chaotic and unmanageable, eventually triggering a stampede. Before anyone could fully grasp the panic situation, several people had collapsed and lost consciousness, requiring immediate medical attention and being rushed to nearby hospitals. Amidst the unfolding tragedy, many young fans remained perched on the compound walls near Saint Mark's Cathedral, undeterred by the blaring sirens of police vehicles, continuing to cheer passionately for their beloved cricket team, PTI reported. 'The frenzy was so overwhelming that people didn't even care about getting pierced by the fence as they climbed over it to get inside,' recounted Chandrashekhar Raju, a resident of Gandhi Bazaar in south Bengaluru, who had come to join the celebrations, as reported by The Hindu. 'I lost my mobile phone, and I saw countless earpods and watches crushed on the ground. So many people were injured… I've never witnessed anything like it. It felt like a near-death experience,' he told The Hindu. Meanwhile, appeals from the police informing people that "stadium is is full," and urging them to disperse fell on deaf ears. An eyewitness told PTI, 600-700 people, especially women, at a time broke open the gate and tried to enter, leading to stampede. "Information was spread that the team's roadshow had been cancelled and called on everyone to gather at the stadium, and many women had come without any tried to stop the women, but they did not listen and tried to climb the gates. 600-700 broke open the gates and at a time tried to enter, this led to stampede. Many victims were women, though I tried to help, I couldn't because of the crowd and chaos," he said. Another person said at least 30-40 people fell at a time due to crowding, but more people were coming in from behind. Three-four people died on the spot in front of my eyes. 'At 3 pm we were asked to come here at gate number 7, but no one was allowed inside the stadium till 5.20 pm. There was a small opening, what else will happen? 300-400 were there at this gate ...it was suffocating and it is great that I'm alive,' he 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." The Karnataka CM further asserted that he has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter. I don't want to defend this incident. Our government will not do politics on this. "I don't want to defend this incident. Our government will not do politics on this. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry and given 15 days' time. People even broke the gates of the stadium. There was a stampede. No one expected such a huge crowd. The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 2-3 lakh people came," CM Siddaramaiah said.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Bengaluru stampede: How what was to be a victory celebration ended in tragedy
After a night of celebrating the victory of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), thousands of fans started gathering near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and Vidhana Soudha, between which a 'victory parade' was planned, by Wednesday afternoon. Clad in the jerseys of their favourite team, there were people from all age groups, including parents with children and the elderly. The banners, music, and dancing in the crowd reflected the fervour of the fans ... all until things started to take a very tragic turn. Desperate to get a glimpse of the famed trophy and the players of RCB, the crowds resorted to climbing trees, compound walls and even roofs of buildings. It was at the stadium that things came to a head. 'My wife and I arrived near the stadium at about 2 p.m., and we were waiting near Gate 20. Sometime between 3 p.m. and 3.30 p.m., as they opened the gates for people to get in, the crowds started pushing one another to get in. In this frenzy, a child fell down a drain in front of the gate. While the security guards who could see it were screaming at the crowds to stop stamping the child, those who wanted to enter did not heed those warnings. The madness was such that people did not even bother about getting pierced by the fence when they were climbing over it to get in. Thankfully, the guards and the police somehow rescued the child,' said a traumatised Chandrashekhar Raju, a resident of Gandhi Bazaar in south Bengaluru, who had come to partake in the celebrations. 'After a point, my wife and I felt so suffocated that we decided to get home. There were some other women who were pleading with us to take them back with us. I lost my mobile phone, and I could see many people's earpods and watches crushed on the ground. I saw so many people getting injured ... I have never seen anything like it. It felt like a near-death experience,' he said. Fans paid no heed The footfall around the stadium had reached manic proportions by around 4.15 p.m. By then, the stadium had also filled to the brim, and the police made desperate pleas for the supporters who had assembled outside to disperse, but to no avail. Unable to gain entry, the crowd started banging on the gates and even managed to climb nearby trees and even on the stadium wall to jump in. While more than a handful jumped over, scores were caned by the police. But crowds continued to push forward. Many supporters were pushed against the stadium wall and almost all held on to their dear lives, even those with some breathing space and a little elbow room did not miss an opportunity to raise slogans praising RCB, said an eyewitness. The intense heat and congestion adversely affected people, as many fainted. Many suffered ankle sprains and multiple other injuries, said eyewitnesses. This also included children who were carried away by the police. Most of the ambulances could not navigate through the roads packed with fans. Eventually, at about 4.30 p.m., there were reports that one person died due to suffocation in the stampede. Soon enough, the numbers started growing, and ambulances started blaring in as those with injuries were escorted to three nearby hospitals whose casualty sections were soon full. According to hospitals, a total of nine people were dead by the time they reached the hospital and two others died as treatment failed. The police continued to urge people to get home as nothing is more important than their lives, but getting back home was also impossible due to choked roads and crowded metro. The trains did not even stop at the B.R. Ambedkar Vidhana Soudha and Cubbon Park stations for hours. While cab prices had doubled, there was also no way for cabs to reach the pick-up locations. 'We walked through Cubbon Park and reached corporation. From there, we booked an autorickshaw, and it was 8 p.m. by the time we reached home,' Mr. Raju said. According to the police estimate, there were more than two lakh people in the area around the stadium on Wednesday evening. With so many people in one place, mobile towers glitched, and soon there was no strong signal on anybody's phone, which exacerbated the situation. 'When there are so many people at one place, the network gets jammed by itself and thus, nobody can make or receive calls or even use the internet,' said a senior police official. Victory lap Even as the tragedy unfolded outside, the situation inside the stadium was in stark contrast, as fans erupted in joy after catching a glimpse of their favourite players. Virat Kohli, amid thunderous applause, started the programme with a short speech thanking the RCB fan base before Rajat Patidar, with the trophy alongside, spoke. It was followed by a lap of honour around the stadium along the boundary ropes. However, the programme was cut short in view of the tragedy that had unfolded outside. (With inputs from Shruti Tewari and Vaishnav G. Edappattu)
