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A scattered pile of shoes, sandals, and bits of what seemed to be sportswear marked the aftermath of a tragic stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru which claimed the lives of 11 people and left 33 others injured.
This incident happened after an unexpected surge of 2–3 lakh people gathered outside the stadium to celebrate RCB’s historic first-ever IPL title victory, overwhelming a venue which had the capacity to accommodate only 35,000. The crowd far exceeded the available space and security arrangements.
What went wrong?
Many youths managed to climb branches of huge trees and frenzied young men clung to poles and even scaled huge walls to gain entry into the stadium to catch a glimpse of their stars, all at the same time, as reported by PTI.
The crowd turned chaotic and unmanageable, eventually triggering a stampede. Before anyone could fully grasp the panic situation, several people had collapsed and lost consciousness, requiring immediate medical attention and being rushed to nearby hospitals.
Amidst the unfolding tragedy, many young fans remained perched on the compound walls near Saint Mark's Cathedral, undeterred by the blaring sirens of police vehicles, continuing to cheer passionately for their beloved cricket team, PTI reported.
Here's what eyewitnesses say
“The frenzy was so overwhelming that people didn’t even care about getting pierced by the fence as they climbed over it to get inside,” recounted Chandrashekhar Raju, a resident of Gandhi Bazaar in south Bengaluru, who had come to join the celebrations, as reported by The Hindu.
“I lost my mobile phone, and I saw countless earpods and watches crushed on the ground. So many people were injured… I’ve never witnessed anything like it. It felt like a near-death experience,” he told The Hindu.
Meanwhile, appeals from the police informing people that "stadium is full...stadium is full," and urging them to disperse fell on deaf ears.
An eyewitness told PTI, 600-700 people, especially women, at a time broke open the gate and tried to enter, leading to stampede.
"Information was spread that the team's roadshow had been cancelled and called on everyone to gather at the stadium, and many women had come without any tickets.....police tried to stop the women, but they did not listen and tried to climb the gates. 600-700 broke open the gates and at a time tried to enter, this led to stampede. Many victims were women, though I tried to help, I couldn't because of the crowd and chaos," he said.
Another person said at least 30-40 people fell at a time due to crowding, but more people were coming in from behind. Three-four people died on the spot in front of my eyes.
“At 3 pm we were asked to come here at gate number 7, but no one was allowed inside the stadium till 5.20 pm. There was a small opening, what else will happen? 300-400 were there at this gate ...it was suffocating and it is great that I'm alive,” he said.
CM Siddaramaiah expresses ‘deep sorrow’
Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, CM Siddaramaiah said, "11 died and 33 were injured in the stampede. This tragedy should not have happened. The government expresses deep sorrow over this incident."
The Karnataka CM further asserted that he has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter.
I don't want to defend this incident. Our government will not do politics on this.
"I don't want to defend this incident. Our government will not do politics on this. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry and given 15 days' time. People even broke the gates of the stadium. There was a stampede. No one expected such a huge crowd. The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 2-3 lakh people came," CM Siddaramaiah said.
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