A stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB’s IPL victory celebration left 11 dead and over 30 injured. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah announced Rs 10 lakh compensation and a magisterial inquiry. The tragedy raises questions about crowd control and event planning in high-profile public gatherings.
Bengaluru was gripped by tragedy on Wednesday evening when a massive crowd gathered near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title victory turned into chaos. A deadly stampede ensued, leaving at least 11 people dead and more than 30 others injured, according to an official statement by the Karnataka government.
The jubilant atmosphere, which had brought lakhs of fans to the heart of the city, took a tragic turn when crowd control measures failed amid the overwhelming turnout. The incident occurred as fans surged toward the stadium where celebrations were being held, completely outstripping the venue’s capacity and resulting in a catastrophic human crush.
RCB’s victory in the 2025 IPL marked a historic moment for the team, which had never before lifted the coveted trophy. The franchise, which enjoys an enormous fan base in Bengaluru and across the country, had organized a grand celebration in collaboration with the Karnataka government.
Fans, eager to witness the celebration and catch a glimpse of their cricketing heroes, began assembling near the stadium and in surrounding areas from early morning. Officials had expected a slightly larger-than-normal crowd, but what transpired was far beyond their estimation. While Chinnaswamy Stadium has a seating capacity of around 35,000, reports suggest that between two to three lakh people gathered in and around the venue.
Speaking at a press conference, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed the scale of the tragedy. “A big tragedy has happened during the victory celebration. Eleven people have died in the stampede incident, and 33 persons are injured,” he said.
The Chief Minister visited Bowring and Vaidehi hospitals where the injured are being treated. He assured the public that all injured individuals are out of danger and are receiving full medical care at no cost.
Siddaramaiah announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of each of the deceased and added that a magisterial inquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident. “The probe will uncover security-related and other failures. I have directed officials to submit the report within 15 days,” he added.
Siddaramaiah emphasized that the massive turnout was unanticipated. “People have thronged in large numbers, exceeding our expectations. One lakh people gathered in front of Vidhana Soudha. The stadium has a 35,000 capacity, but 2 to 3 lakh people were present around the venue.”
He clarified that his statement about the turnout being unexpected should not be interpreted as an attempt to exonerate the administration. “I am not giving a clean chit to anyone. Let the magisterial inquiry establish who was responsible,” he said.
Responding to political attacks by opposition parties, especially the BJP, the CM said: “I don’t want to play politics in this. Let us wait for the outcome of the probe.”
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The tragedy has sparked public mourning across the state. Many of the victims were young fans—boys and girls in their teens and twenties. Social media has been flooded with condolences, while questions are being raised about the preparedness of local authorities and law enforcement to handle such a high-profile public event.
Safety experts and crowd management professionals have pointed out that large-scale events require stringent planning, real-time monitoring, and clearly defined emergency protocols, all of which appear to have fallen short in this instance.
As the state reels from the shock, the focus now shifts to the findings of the magisterial probe and the steps that will be taken to prevent such a tragedy from recurring. The celebration that was meant to mark a historic sporting achievement will now forever be remembered for its tragic human cost.
