A joyous occasion turned into a tragedy in Bengaluru on Wednesday as a stampede near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebration claimed 11 lives and left 33 injured.
Thousands of fans had gathered outside the stadium to catch a glimpse of their favorite team after RCB ended their 18-year wait for the IPL trophy. However, the overwhelming crowd—estimated to be over 2-3 lakh ਲੋਕ—far exceeded the stadium’s capacity of 35,000, leading to chaos and a deadly stampede.
Addressing a press conference, Karnataka ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ Siddaramaiah expressed deep sorrow and announced a compensation of ₹10 lakh for the families of the deceased. He also assured that the ਸਰਕਾਰ would cover all medical expenses for those injured.
“This tragedy should not have happened. The ਸਰਕਾਰ expresses deep sorrow over this incident. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry and given 15 days’ time for the report,” he said. He acknowledged that no one expected such a huge crowd and emphasized that the gates of the stadium were broken during the rush.
Fans who were at the scene described a chaotic situation. One RCB supporter said, “The seats inside were full. ਲੋਕ couldn’t go in or leave. The gates were packed, and many were injured.”
Prime ਮੰਤਰੀ Narendra Modi, in a statement shared by the Prime ਮੰਤਰੀ’s Office, called the incident “absolutely heartrending” and offered condolences to the families of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also expressed grief and called for a review of safety protocols at such large events. “The joy of victory should never come at the cost of lives,” he said.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have sharply criticised the Congress-led Karnataka ਸਰਕਾਰ over the incident. JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy accused the state of “zero preparedness” and a lack of planning, while BJP leader CT Ravi described the tragedy as a “complete collapse of administration.”
Union ਮੰਤਰੀ HD Kumaraswamy called the incident “painful and preventable,” demanding that the Congress ਸਰਕਾਰ take full responsibility. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla went a step further, demanding resignations from the ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ, Deputy CM, and the Home ਮੰਤਰੀ.
As the investigation begins, grieving families and injured fans wait for answers and support, while questions over crowd management and safety measures continue to loom.
