Bengaluru: What began as a jubilant celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic maiden IPL title ended in heartbreak, as a massive stampede near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives and left several others injured, some in critical condition.
The tragedy unfolded when thousands of excited fans gathered around the stadium, overwhelming security arrangements. Despite police denying permission for a proposed open-top roadshow due to safety concerns, the sheer size of the crowd led to uncontrollable chaos.
After 18 years of anticipation, RCB’s IPL triumph had ignited fan frenzy across Karnataka. A grand roadshow from Vidhana Soudha to the stadium had been planned, but police pulled the plug at the last moment, fearing potential mishaps.
Just days earlier, similar celebrations in Shivamogga and Belagavi had already resulted in two deaths, raising concerns about crowd safety. To manage the Bengaluru turnout, authorities had imposed traffic curbs from 3 PM, but the measures fell short.
The official team event, scheduled from 6 to 9 PM at Chinnaswamy Stadium, proceeded amid mourning. Authorities have launched a probe into whether lapses in crowd control and event planning contributed to the fatal incident.
