What began as a moment of joy turned into a tragedy in Bengaluru, as frenzied celebrations over Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) historic IPL win after 18 years resulted in stampedes at two locations, leaving at least 11 people feared dead, according to NDTV.
Massive crowds gathered near M Chinnaswamy Stadium for a felicitation event organized by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), while another stampede occurred on the premises of Vidhana Soudha, where the RCB team was meeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Eyewitnesses reported chaotic scenes, with people fainting amid the crush and visuals showing police carrying injured individuals to nearby hospitals. At Bowring Hospital, ambulances made repeated trips as they rushed the wounded from the venue.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who greeted the RCB team on arrival and presented flags to Virat Kohli and others, acknowledged the crowd was “uncontrollable” and apologized for the overcrowding. He stated that over 5,000 security personnel had been deployed but emphasized the challenge of managing a young, excited crowd without force. The program was cut short to prevent further incidents.
Metro stations near the stadium were overwhelmed with foot traffic, and people climbed trees and stood on ledges to glimpse the team. The government had earlier canceled a planned victory parade due to security concerns, but that did little to stem the surge of fans across the city.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi criticized the Karnataka government for poor planning and failing to coordinate emergency services, calling for accountability over the preventable tragedy.
The police, who had been on duty since Tuesday night to manage celebratory crowds, continue efforts to control the situation as investigations and medical responses proceed.
