At least 11 people lost their lives and around 50 others were injured in a stampede outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, as a huge crowd gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory, according to media reports.
The fatal stampede broke out as the crowd swelled and turned uncontrollable outside the stadium, which has a capacity of roughly 40,000 people.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday welcomed the winning team at the airport from where the players were guided by a massive crowd on road.
The team reached Vidhan Soudha where the players were greeted.
Though the players were about to head to the Chinnaswamy Stadium for a ceremony, it is now not clear whether the programme will be held as per schedule.
#WATCH | A car was damaged after fans climbed over it outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru
— ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2025
A large number of #RoyalChallengersBengaluru fans have turned up here to catch a glimpse of their champion team.
A special felicitation ceremony for all RCB players has been… pic.twitter.com/WuNrbo5Bzh
Shivakumar wrote on X, “The people who were supposed to witness RCB’s IPL victory celebration have tragically passed away, causing deep pain and shock. My condolences to the deceased. My sympathies to their families. Let there be fandom, but it is not greater than life. I urge everyone to please stay safe.”
Slamming the Congress-led state government, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell head Amit Malviya wrote on X, “This heartbreaking incident could have been avoided. The lack of basic administrative foresight and failure in crowd control by the state government has led to an irreparable loss. Accountability must be fixed. Lives were lost due to negligence, not chance.”
RCB lift maiden IPL trophy
India’s cricket icon Virat Kohli’s wait for the maiden IPL trophy ended on Tuesday as Bengaluru scripted their first ever title win in the cash-rich T20 tournament at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Kohli moved to tears on ground as Bengaluru’s wait for their maiden trophy ended in a moment which felt surreal for the franchise that had unsuccessfully played three finals in the past since IPL’s inception in 2008.
Bengaluru defeated Punjab Kings in the final defending 190-9 which they piled in their quota of 20 overs.
