What should have been a joyous day for Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans turned into tragedy as a stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives and left several others injured on Wednesday. The team, returning triumphantly from Ahmedabad after ending their 18-year-long wait for an IPL title, was scheduled to be felicitated at the stadium. However, the celebrations spiraled into chaos due to overwhelming crowds and inadequate crowd control.
Thousands of fans had gathered across the city to catch a glimpse of their cricketing heroes, proudly waving RCB flags and chanting slogans of victory. The streets near the stadium were packed with enthusiastic supporters, all hoping to celebrate history being made. But as the crowd swelled beyond control outside the venue, a stampede ensued.
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Disturbing visuals circulated on social media showed the aftermath — injured individuals being carried by police and bystanders, sirens wailing, and a festive occasion quickly turning into a nightmare. The injured were rushed to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital and Vaidehi Hospital for treatment.
#WATCH | Karnataka police use mild force to manage the crowd outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru
A large number of #RoyalChallengersBengaluru fans have arrived here to catch a glimpse of their champion team. pic.twitter.com/rnBSTx8vEN
— ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2025
7 dead. Many are battling for life after a stampede due to the irresponsibility of Congress govt.
No crowd control measures. No basic arrangements. Just chaos.
While innocent people died, @siddaramaiah & @DKShivakumar were busy shooting reels & hogging limelight with… pic.twitter.com/IVPuQjXxcq
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) June 4, 2025
The incident sparked widespread outrage, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) blaming the Congress-led Karnataka government for negligence. BJP leader Amit Malviya criticized the lack of preparedness, saying, “This heartbreaking incident could have been avoided. The lack of administrative foresight and crowd management led to an irreparable loss.”
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The state BJP unit also slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, accusing them of focusing more on photo-ops with cricketers than on public safety. “Shame on this photo-op Congress government. This is criminal negligence. Blood is on the hands of Congress govt,” read a statement from the party.
The tragic turn of events has cast a dark shadow over what was supposed to be a historic and happy occasion for Bengaluru and RCB fans.
