Bengaluru: 11 people lost their lives while more than 50 were injured in a stampede during the IPL victory celebrations at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The incident took place during a fan meet organized after the historic victory of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
According to eyewitnesses, the stadium has a capacity of 35,000, but lakhs of fans had arrived to join the celebrations. When the crowd started pushing and jostling at the entrances of the stadium, the situation went out of control. Many people were crushed in the stampede, including women, children, and the elderly.
Chaos at the spot
Police and emergency services reached the spot immediately after the incident. The injured were admitted to nearby hospitals, where some died during treatment. The administration has assured all possible assistance to the families of the deceased.
The Chief Minister expressed grief, ordered an investigation
Karnataka Chief Minister Shri Siddaramaiah expressed deep grief over the accident and ordered an immediate magisterial inquiry. He said, “This is a big human tragedy. The organizers should have been more cautious in crowd management.”
Prime Minister Modi expressed grief
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the incident and tweeted, “This incident in Bengaluru is extremely heartbreaking. My condolences are with the affected families.”
RCB’s victory parade cancelled
A grand parade was planned from Vidhana Soudha to the stadium to celebrate RCB’s victory, but the event was cancelled after the accident. BCCI and the state government have jointly assured investigation of the accident and action against those responsible.
Organizers and security management are under question. After the accident, serious questions have been raised about the role of the organizers and the security arrangements. Was there an adequate police force present for crowd control? Did the organizers anticipate that such a large number of people could attend? The answers to these questions will now be revealed only after investigation.