Bengaluru Stampede: At least 11 people died and 33 others were injured after a stampede broke out near M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations on Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed. The incident occurred before the felicitation ceremony began as thousands of fans had gathered to celebrate the team’s first IPL title win in 18 years.
Police officials tried to control the crowd as the number of fans surged. Visuals from the scene showed emergency personnel rushing the injured to nearby hospitals. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said he could not confirm the number of casualties. "No information on deaths in RCB celebrations in Bengaluru, will inform on receiving details," he said as quoted by PTI.
Read Also | RCB Victory Parade Stampede: Metro Stations Shut Amid Massive Rush in Bengaluru (Watch Video)
The celebration, originally planned to take place at Vidhana Soudha, drew overwhelming numbers. The situation quickly escalated, raising concerns over crowd control and event planning. In response to the situation, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited suspended services at Cubbon Park and Dr B R Ambedkar Vidhana Soudha stations from 4:30 p.m. until further notice.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi criticised the state government for poor planning and lack of coordination. In a post on X, he called the stampede a result of administrative failure and said the loss of life could have been prevented.
The state government had earlier cancelled a planned victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to the stadium, citing safety concerns.