Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for each of the families of the 11 people who died in a stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebration near M Chinnaswamy Stadium. He also confirmed that the government will provide free treatment to the injured. The chief minister made the announcement during a press conference held alongside Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Home Minister G Parameshwara. He said the government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.
“The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. Free treatment will be provided to the injured,” he said, as quoted by ANI. "I don't want to defend this incident. Our government will not do politics on this. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry and given 15 days' time. People even broke the gates of the stadium. There was a stampede. No one expected such a huge crowd. The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 2-3 lakh people came," he added.
Crowds had assembled outside both Vidhana Soudha and Chinnaswamy Stadium to welcome the RCB team. An open-top bus parade was initially planned but later cancelled due to crowd control concerns. Despite warnings by the Bengaluru Traffic Police, fans continued to flood the area, leading to chaos and tragedy.
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Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah posted a message on X expressing his shock over the tragedy. “Several people lost their lives and others were seriously injured. The pain of this tragedy has even erased the joy of victory,” he said.
He extended condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. The chief minister added that the RCB team had not been allowed to proceed with the parade because of fears that a stampede might occur.
“The accident happened despite precautions. I appeal to the public to remember that life is more important than excitement. Safety must be given the highest priority,” he said.
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