What began as a celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) long-awaited IPL victory ended in heartbreak after a stampede near Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed the lives of 11 people, most of them young fans. The incident occurred on Wednesday as massive crowds gathered to welcome home the team and star player Virat Kohli, following their win over Punjab Kings in the final.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed that the stadium’s limited capacity was overwhelmed by an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people, despite only 35,000 being allowed entry. The chaos unfolded as fans tried to get closer to the players during the trophy parade, resulting in a deadly crush that also injured 47 others.
Virat Kohli, who had earlier dedicated the win to fans after lifting his first IPL title in 18 seasons, expressed sorrow online, saying he was “at a loss for words” and “absolutely gutted.” The RCB team shared their condolences, calling the incident “deeply anguishing.”
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Survivors described terrifying scenes. One injured woman recounted how she lost consciousness in the crowd, saying, “They stamped on me. I couldn’t breathe.”
Among the victims was an 18-year-old student whose father, a street vendor, had dreams of sending him to college. “He died in an RCB shirt,” said a grieving mother, speaking outside the mortuary.
Authorities had cancelled a proposed open-top bus parade due to safety concerns but went ahead with a stadium event, which still drew uncontrollable crowds.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the tragedy “absolutely heartrending,” as calls for stricter crowd control measures grew louder in the aftermath of the incident.