The chaos began after a crowd gathered near M Chinnaswamy Stadium for a felicitation of the team held by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA)
AMN WEB DESK
Tragedy struck outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, where a massive fan celebration for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) turned chaotic, with at least 11 people feared dead in a suspected stampede.
The event, organised as a public meet-and-greet to celebrate RCB’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 victory, saw an overwhelming turnout of supporters eager to catch a glimpse of their cricketing heroes. According to initial reports, the situation spiraled out of control when the crowd surged unexpectedly, leading to panic and confusion.
Though the exact details of the incident are still emerging, eyewitnesses reported a large-scale rush outside the stadium gates shortly before the scheduled start of the program. The sheer volume of people, many of whom had gathered well in advance, led to overcrowding and difficulties in managing the crowd flow. The situation reportedly worsened as fans pushed forward, hoping to get closer to the players, resulting in injuries and possible fatalities.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar addressed the media following the incident but refrained from confirming any official death toll. “I can’t confirm the number of casualties yet,” he told India Today. He added that he had spoken with senior police officials and would visit the hospital later to check on the injured but did not want to disrupt ongoing medical treatment. He also urged the public to stay calm and cooperate with authorities as the situation was being brought under control.
The Deputy Chief Minister revealed that the event had to be cut short and concluded within 10 minutes due to the unexpected crowd pressure. “Lakhs of people came,” he said, acknowledging the overwhelming turnout. He noted that while the passion and support for the team were commendable, safety had to be prioritised in such massive gatherings.