A large crowd that assembled to celebrate the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) title turned tragic on Wednesday evening when a stampede near M Chinnaswamy Stadium resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals and injuries to over 30 others.
Authorities reported that the majority of the deceased were young individuals, both male and female, with several being students.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah remarked that the Bengaluru stadium has a capacity of 35,000, yet 2-3 lakh people attended. “The match took place last evening (Tuesday), and today (Wednesday) this event was organized by the cricket association, so the turnout was unexpected,” he stated.
What caused the stampede in Bengaluru?
Siddaramaiah explained that the stampede was due to inadequate coordination and an overwhelming number of attendees.
“There are small gates. People entered through these gates, and some even broke them, leading to the stampede. No one anticipated such a large crowd. At first glance, it appears that way. I am not implying that nothing has occurred. An inquiry will reveal the facts,” he added.
“There were over 1.5 lakh individuals at the gates, pushing and eventually breaking through in certain areas. The attempt to enter the stadium triggered the stampede.”
“It was a crowd larger than anyone had anticipated,” stated Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, describing the situation as “absolutely uncontrollable.”
What did the police report?
“The crowd exceeded our control. Despite deploying forces, it was overwhelming,” a senior police officer disclosed to HT on the condition of anonymity.
Police indicated that approximately 50,000 people had gathered within a 1-km radius of the stadium, with many attempting to push through gates or scale barriers.
“We had to resort to a lathi charge at certain moments. The issue was that the stadium gates were narrow, and the crowd pressure led to the tragedy,” the official concluded.
By the afternoon, thousands of fans started to gather around the stadium. Despite the stadium’s capacity of 35,000, police estimate that between 200,000 and 300,000 people showed up. By 3:30 PM, the crowd pressure compelled authorities to shut all gates.
Numerous photos and videos from the scene depict fans pushing and shoving one another. Several images capture RCB supporters attempting to scale walls and climb over gates to gain entry, while chanting “RCB, RCB.”
“While those with valid tickets were permitted to enter the stadium for the celebrations, many attempted to squeeze in alongside those with free passes and tickets. In their effort to gain entry, some began to push each other,” a police officer informed PTI.
Additional clips from the scene revealed individuals climbing on cars and trees in an effort to catch a glimpse of the ongoing celebrations. Police were also observed using mild force to control the growing crowds.
Confusion regarding parade timing and free passes
Among other factors, confusion arose over the event plans as the Bengaluru traffic police announced in the morning that there would be no victory parade – only a celebration inside the stadium.
However, at 3:14 PM, the RCB management shared on social media that a parade would indeed take place at 5 PM, followed by celebrations in the stadium. They also announced that limited free passes would be available online.
This mixed messaging left fans confused, many of whom arrived at the stadium without tickets or in hopes of obtaining passes.
“In the morning, we were informed that passes could be bought. Later, we were told they were being distributed at the stadium. So like me, many ended up here hoping to get a pass,” Rakesh Prakash, a software engineer among the crowd, told Media.
The state government has mandated a full inquiry into the incident.
