BENGALURU, JUNE 5:
What was meant to be a grand celebration for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s triumphant IPL 2025 season turned into a devastating tragedy on Wednesday, as massive overcrowding and a stampede-like situation led to the death of at least 11 people in Bengaluru.
The celebratory mood soured as thousands of enthusiastic fans gathered around the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and Vidhana Soudha to catch a glimpse of the RCB players, who were to be felicitated by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Unfortunately, poor planning, miscommunication, and lack of crowd control spiraled the event into chaos.
Confusion and Mismanagement
There was no official clarity on the arrangements until just an hour before the scheduled event. While RCB’s social media handle had teased an open-top parade, the Bengaluru Traffic Police contradicted the information, stating that no such parade would occur.
Reports suggest that the event organizers were scrambling to coordinate with police authorities right until the last moment. This last-minute coordination proved insufficient as a sea of fans, many of whom had gathered since 3:45 PM, flooded the roads, climbed walls, and scaled structures in eager anticipation.
Stampede-like Situation and Death Toll
As the crowd surged and the rain began to fall, panic set in. Videos circulated by ANI showed fans scaling the stadium walls while the police struggled to control the swelling crowd. Mild lathi charges were seen in some clips as officers attempted to restore order.
According to officials, six people were declared dead at Bowring Hospital, while four others succumbed at Vydehi Hospital. One more fatality was later confirmed, bringing the total death toll to eleven. Several others remain injured, some in critical condition.
Authorities React
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar issued a public apology, expressing grief over the loss of lives. “I apologize to the people of Karnataka for this unfortunate incident,” he said.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia also weighed in, calling the tragedy a result of poor planning. “This is the negative side of popularity. Organizers should have been more prepared. This celebration turned into an anticlimax,” Saikia remarked.
RCB Issues Statement
The franchise responded to the incident with a heartfelt message:
“We are deeply anguished by the unfortunate incidents… The safety and well-being of everyone is of utmost importance to us. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the affected families.”
According to the team, they quickly changed their schedule in response to advice from the local government and advised supporters to exercise caution.
A Unity-Deserving Celebration Ends in Mourning
In Bengaluru’s sporting history, what ought to have been a day of happiness and celebration has now turned into a somber chapter. The tragedy still hangs over the city as it continues to celebrate RCB’s IPL victory.
