: What was supposed to be a joyful celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) first-ever IPL title became tragic on Wednesday evening, following a stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium that resulted in at least 10 fatalities and left more than 20 injured.
As per the police and hospital authorities, the pandemonium broke out when thousands of supporters had assembled outside the Bengaluru stadium in the central part of the city to hail the IPL 2025 winners, who were coming back with the trophy after securing their first-ever Indian Premier League title in 18 years of attempts.
The growing crowd of hourly size became more and more unruly as supporters pushed and shoved for a glimpse of their idols. Witnesses have spoken of several surges at doors and barricades, creating a panic-like situation. Police had to resort to a lathi-charge to quell the building crowd, but by then, damage was done.
Photos of the event revealed that people climbed trees, poles, and buses as others cried for help amidst the chaos. The injured were taken to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, where emergency care is in progress.
Six deaths were confirmed by police, but this number was raised to ten as more victims died due to injuries. Hospital authorities stated that a number of the injured are still in critical condition.
Earlier during the day, the Karnataka government had arranged a lavish felicitation function for the RCB team at the Vidhana Soudha, the state assembly building. Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar congratulated the team, headed by Rajat Patidar, on their landmark victory.
But increasing crowds outside the stadium made authorities have to shorten the event, which lasted a mere 10 minutes, Deputy CM Shivakumar confirmed.
“Lakhs of people came. We shortened the program due to safety concerns. I have spoken to the police commissioner, and I will visit the hospital shortly,” Shivakumar said. “We urge people to stay calm and prioritise safety. This was an unfortunate and unforeseen incident.”
On an X (formerly Twitter) post, DK Shivakumar offered condolences to the families of the victims and termed the accident a “deeply tragic moment amidst celebrations.” He appealed to the people to desist from overcrowding and heeding safety warnings during public gatherings.
The authorities are now under fire for crowd management arrangements, with doubts arising as to whether sufficient planning had gone into organizing such a high-profile public celebration.
No official statement has been made by the RCB management or the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on the incident.
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