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A celebration turned tragic in Bengaluru as 11 people died and dozens were injured in a crowd crush outside a stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) Indian Premier League (IPL) victory parade. The incident occurred Wednesday, as over 200,000 fans flooded the streets to celebrate RCB’s win over the Punjab Kings.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed the deaths and said the turnout far exceeded expectations. Police had prepared for about 100,000 people, but the actual crowd doubled that estimate.
A police official said the crush occurred when fans pushed toward a small gate that remained closed. “The gates were not even open, but people kept surging forward,” he added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “heartrending” and expressed condolences to the victims’ families. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah added, “A moment of joy has been eclipsed by sorrow.”
Earlier in the day, the RCB team had landed at HAL Airport and was welcomed by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar before being honored at Vidhana Soudha, the state legislative assembly. A second procession was planned toward the stadium for a public reception, where Virat Kohli addressed fans briefly before the tragedy unfolded.
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes with overflowing metro stations, crowded streets, and limited transportation. Metro stations near the stadium were eventually shut down due to safety concerns as people fled the area after news of the casualties spread.
