The dream celebration of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) winning the IPL title turned into a night of horror and mourning in Bengaluru. On Tuesday night, thousands of cricket fans from across Karnataka gathered outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to witness the much-anticipated victory parade. However, the event’s poor planning and mismanagement resulted in a stampede that left several injured and the crowd in shock.
Though fans were told that an open-top bus parade would follow the felicitation ceremony, organizers failed to confirm the plan until the last moment. Entry was permitted only with passes, but thousands arrived without them, hoping to get a glimpse of the players, especially RCB star Virat Kohli. A few security personnel were deployed to check passes, but there was no proper arrangement to control the surging crowd.
Eyewitness Inayat from Lingarajpuram said that by the time he reached Gate No. 3, the area was packed so tightly that there was no room to stand. When the gate opened slightly, the crowd surged forward, causing chaos.
Another witness recalled that three girls attempted to push the gate open and were immediately knocked down as the crowd behind them surged ahead. One by one, people fell and were trampled, their screams echoing through the stadium’s exterior.
At Gate No. 1, a rumor that Virat Kohli was entering from that direction caused the crowd to rush towards the gate. The gate was closed, leading to a sudden halt, causing many — mostly women and youngsters — to stumble and fall on each other, triggering panic and injuries.
The lack of crowd control measures, absence of proper barricading, and failure to communicate clear event protocols turned a joyful celebration into a chaotic and traumatic incident.
