RCB’s Historic Win Marred by Bengaluru Stadium Stampede — Dozens Injured

BENGALURU: The Bengaluru Stadium Stampede at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday evening has left the city in shock, after misinformation about free IPL celebration tickets led to a surge of panicked fans and dozens of injuries. The tragedy occurred as thousands gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) historic IPL win.

RCB’s First IPL Win Caused DEADLY Rush at Gate 7: Bengaluru Stadium Stampede Leaves City in Shock

Bengaluru stampede victims: The Bengaluru Stadium Stampede was triggered at Gate No. 7, where rumours spread that complimentary tickets were being distributed. Fans swarmed the entrance, and as rain began falling around 5:30 pm, the situation deteriorated rapidly.

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“People completely lost control. It was a disaster,” said Achimanya from Rajajinagar, who witnessed the Bengaluru Stadium Stampede unfold. “Everyone rushed forward, pushing and falling. It was terrifying.”

Chinnaswamy Stadium has 13 public gates, but Gate 7 bore the brunt of the disaster. Other heavily crowded gates included 5, 6, 19, and 20, while gates 9 and 10, reserved for officials, remained relatively calm. Witnesses say poor crowd management and delayed announcements about a possible RCB victory parade contributed to the scale of the Bengaluru Stadium Stampede.

Avinash S, a 31-year-old from RR Nagar, said he narrowly escaped: “There were people on the ground, and an ambulance nearby had over 40 injured inside. I was lucky to leave early.”

Another attendee, Sinchana N (25), said police efforts were inadequate. “The cops weren’t in control. They were just pushing people back. I escaped the worst only because I came late.”

Traffic gridlock near Cubbon Park Circle further hampered emergency response, forcing police to use lathis around 6:30 pm to disperse the crowd.

The Bengaluru Stadium Stampede has since sparked a political backlash. Opposition leaders from BJP criticized the Congress-led state government for failing to manage the crowd. In response, CM Siddaramaiah referred to the chaos as being on par with religious gatherings like the Kumbh Mela and assured the public of a full inquiry.

As the city recovers, questions are mounting over how the Bengaluru Stadium incident could have been prevented, and why accurate information and crowd control measures were not in place.