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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
11 dead in Bengaluru stampede as RCB's moment of celebration is marred by poor planning, last-minute changes
Behind Wednesday's stampede in Bengaluru, which occurred as thousands gathered to celebrate the IPL victory of Royal Challengers Bangalore, lies an apparent lack of planning, an underestimation of the number of fans who would gather, and confusion over the free passes available to allow entry to the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Eleven people died and 47 were injured in the stampede. Celebrations began on Tuesday night itself, when thousands took to Bengaluru's streets to mark the team's first win in its 18-year history. The largest gatherings were observed in and around MG Road, Church Street, and some locations in the Central Business District. On Wednesday morning, the team's management announced that they would hold a victory parade in an open bus from Vidhana Soudha to the stadium, roughly 1 km away, before an event at the stadium for which limited free passes would be available online. At 11:56 am on Wednesday, however, the traffic police announced that there would be no victory parade. Around 1:30 pm, the RCB team arrived at HAL airport and took a bus to the hotel before proceeding to Vidhana Soudha. By then, thousands had gathered around the Vidhana Soudha, where Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was scheduled to felicitate the team. Some in the crowd climbed trees, while others found a way to the top of the Karnataka High Court building. Simultaneously, the crowd swell near the M Chinnaswamy cricket stadium. Around this time, the Namma Metro announced that the trains would not stop at Cubbon Park and Dr BR Ambedkar stations due to the heavy footfall. According to the police, by 3 pm, around 50,000 people were within a 1-kilometre radius, and the number was only rising. According to officials investigating the incident, the crowd expected that after the felicitation, the open bus would head towards the stadium. As many did not have tickets to enter the venue, they hoped they would at least catch a glimpse of the cricket stars on the bus, unaware that the victory parade had been cancelled. When the team did leave for the stadium, it was in a closed bus. Tragedy struck around 4:45 pm, when Gate 1 of the stadium partially opened and a crowd, comprising both ticket holders and those without tickets, attempted to swarm into the premises. Inayath, a resident of Lingarajapuram and an eyewitness to the incident, said, 'Everyone just flooded in. In the chaos, some people fell on the ground. There was nobody to control the crowd or offer help.' Mahesh, another eyewitness, said people were falling on top of each other. 'Immediately, we formed a human chain around those who were on the ground so that they could get up. A woman was given CPR and wheeled into an ambulance,' he said. CM Siddaramaiah also indicated that the government had severely underestimated the number of people who would turn up for the celebrations. There were around 2-3 lakh people on the streets, including 1 lakh near the Vidhana Soudha, he said. 'We, or the Karnataka State Cricket Association, did not expect such a huge crowd. The stadium capacity is around 35,000. We anticipated that there would be a little more than that,' he said. Most of the dead are young men and women. The government has promised compensation of Rs 10 lakh to their families. One of the bodies was as that of Devyamshi (14). A resident of Kanur, she had come to the venue with her mother, younger sister, and other family members. 'I lost my granddaughter,' said the girl's grandmother outside the mortuary of Bowring Hospital. In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote, 'The mishap in Bengaluru is absolutely heartrending. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that those who are injured have a speedy recovery.' MP and former CM H D Kumaraswamy said, 'The primary reason for this massive tragedy is the lack of proper planning and complete failure to take precautionary measures. The state government, led by the Congress, must take full responsibility for this disaster.' Sanath Prasad is a senior sub-editor and reporter with the Bengaluru bureau of Indian Express. He covers education, transport, infrastructure and trends and issues integral to Bengaluru. He holds more than two years of reporting experience in Karnataka. His major works include the impact of Hijab ban on Muslim girls in Karnataka, tracing the lives of the victims of Kerala cannibalism, exploring the trends in dairy market of Karnataka in the aftermath of Amul-Nandini controversy, and Karnataka State Elections among others. If he is not writing, he keeps himself engaged with badminton, swimming, and loves exploring. ... Read More
Indian Express
4 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
At least 10 feared dead in stampede-like situation outside Bengaluru stadium as RCB's IPL victory celebrations turns tragic
At least ten people were feared dead and several others were injured in a stampede-like situation outside Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru ahead of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Indian Premier League victory celebration Wednesday evening. The stampede broke out around 4.45 pm when more than 15 people, including a woman, fell on the ground in the rush of the crowd outside Gate 1 of the stadium. Though officials are yet to confirm the death toll, hospital sources said that at least six people are feared dead. Some others were rushed to hospitals with severe injuries, such as broken legs. RCB, which won the IPL final against Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, was scheduled to celebrate their victory in Bengaluru Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon, the team arrived at HAL Airport on a special flight. As planned, a felicitation programme took place at Vidhana Soudha, with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in attendance. Later, the team was set to participate in a victory parade on an open bus. Thousands of fans gathered in front of Vidhana Soudha as well as outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium. There was confusion before the celebrations near the stadium, as the victory parade was not confirmed until the last minute. Additionally, passes were made mandatory to enter the Chinnaswamy Stadium to watch the celebrations. Inayath, a resident of Lingarajapuram and an eyewitness, said there were many people who did not have passes eagerly waiting to get in. 'It was near Gate 1, which was partially opened and everyone started rushing into the stadium. Some of them who did not have the passes also tried to enter, and in the chaos, people fell to the ground. There was nobody to control the crowd or even to help,' he added. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited the injured at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital. Some other injured victims are admitted to Vydehi Hospital. Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on X said, 'The tragic incident of a stampede near Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium during the RCB victory celebrations, resulting in the unfortunate death of people, has left me deeply shocked. It is extremely painful to see innocent lives lost even before the celebrations could begin. The primary reason for this massive tragedy is the lack of proper planning and complete failure to take precautionary measures.' 'The state government, led by @INCKarnataka, must take full responsibility for this disaster. Along with ensuring the injured receive the best possible treatment, the government must immediately reach out to support the families of the deceased. It is my heartfelt concern that the cricket fans who had gathered near the stadium and Vidhana Soudha to witness the celebrations should return home safely without panic or distress. The police must take emergency measures in this regard and assist the public.'
