Bengaluru, June 04 :
Eleven people including a woman died and several others were injured, some of them critically, in a major stampede at the gates of M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, where thousands of fans had gathered to catch a glimpse of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru after the team won its maiden IPL title on Tuesday.
The celebratory moods turned tragic as the stampede led to the loss of lives as crowds rushed towards the stadium gates to attend the event organised to mark the RCB’s IPL victory.
Police sources told ETV Bharat that 11 people, including a woman, had lost their lives in the stampede, though there was no official confirmation about the toll so far. The deceased and the injured were taken to Bowring Hospital, where the condition of at least three people was said to be critical and Vaidehi Hospital. The names and other details of the deceased and the injured persons are yet to be shared by the authorities.
Dr M S Humera of Vaidehi Hospital confirmed the death of four people. “As many as 16 people were brought to the hospital. Of them, four were dead before reaching the hospital. Others have sustained minor injuries and they are being treated,” she said.
What Happened?
The stampede was triggered as hundreds of fans sought to enter the stadium by breaking the barricades, even as police resorted to a mild lathi-charge. A special felicitation ceremony in the stadium for the RCB team was organised by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). According to eyewitnesses, the stampede emerged as fans thronged the venue of felicitation. Visuals showed police shifting the injured persons and those who fell unconscious in ambulances to nearby hospitals.
Some of those who were in an unconscious state were being administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by those nearby. Police had a tough time in crowd management as a large number of cricket enthusiasts tried to gain entry, at the same time, into the stadium.
According to a traffic advisory from the Bengaluru police, entry to Chinnaswamy Stadium was limited to only those with valid tickets and passes.”As there is limited parking facility available near the Chinnaswamy Stadium, those who are attending the event are advised to use public transport and Metro. The public is requested to cooperate,” it had said.
Police officials stated that the ambulances were unable to move quickly to the hospital due to the overcrowding on the roads. In a separate incident, one fan, while climbing a gate to jump into the stadium, fell and broke his leg, according to IANS.
Opposition slams Karnataka Government
The government of Karnataka had earlier cancelled the victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium, citing security reasons. Earlier today, when the RCB team arrived at the HAL airport here, they were personally welcomed by Deputy CM D K Shivakumar. He presented bouquets to each player. Shivakumar especially greeted cricketer Virat Kohli, presenting him with both the RCB team flag and the Kannada flag.
Opposition parties held the Karnataka government responsible for the tragedy. Opposition Leader in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka said the government had not made any preparations about the crowd management.
