A joyous celebration turned into a devastating tragedy as a stampede at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed the lives of eleven young fans and left 47 others injured. All the victims were under the age of 40, with the youngest being just 14 years old. Among the deceased were three teenagers and six individuals in their twenties.
Thousands of fans, many of them young and enthusiastic supporters, had gathered to celebrate what went to be known as the historic win after a 18-year wait, while most of the victims were from Bengaluru, several had traveled from nearby districts to be part of the event, according to Indian news reports.
What began as a euphoric occasion quickly spiraled into chaos as an overwhelming crowd gathered at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. With security arrangements grossly inadequate to handle the sheer volume of people — reportedly over 300,000 — the situation deteriorated rapidly, resulting in a deadly stampede. The stadium has a seating capacity of only about 35,000.
In the meantime, the authorities confirmed the names of some of the deceased as Divyanshi (14). Shivalinga (17), Bhoomik (20), Shravan (20), Prajwal (20), Chinmayi (19), Sahana (25), Akshata (27), Devi (29), Doresha (32), Manoj (33).
Most of the victims had come to the stadium with friends, hoping to witness history and cheer for their team. Instead, their lives were cut short in a tragedy that experts and critics say could have been avoided.
Several questions have now been raised about the event’s planning, security preparedness, and the state government’s decision-making. One of the major criticisms is the simultaneous organization of a felicitation ceremony at Vidhana Soudha, the state legislative building, where Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar were present to honor the RCB players.
Due to the presence of high-ranking dignitaries at Vidhana Soudha, a significant number of security personnel were diverted there. This left a skeleton force to manage the exponentially larger crowd at the stadium. The mismatch in deployment proved catastrophic as police struggled to maintain order in the face of a surging crowd.
Reports have emerged that Bengaluru police had earlier denied permission for a victory parade due to anticipated security risks. Despite this, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and team organizers proceeded with plans for a celebration at the stadium. At 3:14 p.m., on that day, the RCB franchise posted a message on social media confirming the parade and offering free passes to fans.
This sudden announcement caused tens of thousands of people to rush to the stadium without a clear protocol for entry. Rumors that entry would be on a “first come, first serve” basis only worsened the situation. As crowds pushed forward, some tried to scale gates or force their way through barricades. In the resulting commotion, several people tripped, fell, and were crushed in the crowd surge.
In the wake of the tragedy, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a press conference announcing a compensation package for the families of those killed and assured that the government would cover medical expenses for the injured.
Attempting to downplay criticism, Siddaramaiah said, “Such incidents have happened in many places. I am not going to justify this by comparing, but during Kumbh Mela, 50-60 people died. I didn’t criticize that event. If the Congress criticizes, that’s a different matter. But did I or the Karnataka government criticize it?”
His remarks sparked sharp criticism from the opposition. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi slammed the government for its handling of the event. “How can you compare this with Kumbh Mela? The police clearly denied permission for the event. Why did you override that? And after the deaths, why did the celebrations continue? Why was the Deputy Chief Minister still busy receiving the team and taking selfies? Is anyone even thinking about the common man?” Joshi asked.
The tragedy has triggered public outrage and demands for accountability. Critics point to the combination of poor planning, disregard for security advisories, and political eagerness to capitalize on the IPL victory as key contributors to the disaster.
With investigations underway, the focus now turns to identifying those responsible for the failure in crowd management and ensuring such a calamity is never repeated.
