A joyous cricket victory celebration turned tragic in Bengaluru on Wednesday, as a stampede during festivities for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL win left at least 11 people dead and 47 injured.
The incident cast a somber shadow over what was meant to be a historic moment for the city.
The fatal crush occurred as hundreds of thousands of fans gathered to welcome home the victorious RCB team. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed the death toll, noting that most victims were young.
He stated that an estimated 200,000-300,000 people had arrived for celebrations at a venue with a capacity of just 35,000. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the event as “absolutely heartrending.”
The planned victory parade was canceled due to the overwhelming crowd. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lamented that the “pain of this tragedy has even erased the joy of victory” and ordered an inquiry into the deaths.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar apologized to the public, admitting the crowd was “very uncontrollable.”
While the tragedy unfolded outside, the official stadium ceremony proceeded, with IPL chairman Arun Dhumal stating organizers were not aware of the stampede until later.
