What Happened at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium?
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory celebrations in Bengaluru on June 4, 2025, took a tragic turn after overcrowding near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium led to a stampede-like situation. Thousands had gathered to witness the RCB IPL 2025 victory celebrations, including a planned open-top bus parade, which was later canceled due to heavy rains and crowd control issues.
Poor Coordination and Last-Minute Planning
Until an hour before the RCB felicitation ceremony, there was confusion. While RCB announced a parade on social media, Bengaluru Traffic Police released a contradictory statement saying no such event was planned. This miscommunication led to chaotic scenes and ultimately, the tragic loss of 11 lives.
News agency ANI shared videos showing people scaling walls and clashing with police. A mild lathi charge had to be used to manage the overflowing crowd, especially near Vidhana Soudha, where the team was to meet the Karnataka Chief Minister.
Government and BCCI Respond
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar offered an apology to the people of Karnataka and confirmed fatalities at Bowring Hospital and Vydehi Hospital. Meanwhile, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia criticized the lack of planning, drawing comparisons to successful events like the T20 World Cup celebration in Mumbai.
RCB’s Official Statement
RCB expressed deep sorrow, saying:
“𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔. 𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚.”
The tragedy has raised serious concerns about event safety, especially during high-profile events like IPL celebrations in Bengaluru. Authorities are now facing pressure to improve crowd control measures for future public gatherings.
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