RCB title celebrations turn tragic: 11 dead in stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium

A tragic stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday claimed 11 lives during celebrations organised to felicitate IPL 2025 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The incident occurred before the ceremony even began, as massive crowds surged to witness the team’s first-ever Indian Premier League title win in 18 years.

According to preliminary information provided to the government, a temporary slab placed over a drain near the stadium premises collapsed under the weight of people standing on it, sources told India Today. The sudden collapse caused panic and a stampede ensued, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries.

As the crowd swelled uncontrollably, police personnel attempted to manage the situation and were seen using mild force to hold back the surging fans. Visuals from the scene showed injured people being rushed to hospitals for emergency treatment.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, reacting to the incident, said: “I can’t confirm the numbers yet. I’m going to the stadium now. A lot of emotional fans. We had deployed 5,000 people too.”

The government’s plan to felicitate RCB at Vidhana Soudha after their long-awaited maiden IPL victory drew an overwhelming response from fans across the city. However, the situation spiralled out of control, raising serious questions about crowd management and event preparedness.

In view of the crowds, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has suspended services at Cubbon Park and Dr BR Ambedkar Vidhana Soudha metro stations from 4:30 pm onwards until further notice.

The BJP said the tragedy was caused by poor planning and crowd mismanagement by the state government. He said the tragedy highlighted the administrative negligence and lack of proper crowd control measures, and called for accountability following the preventable loss of life.

"The state government in Karnataka has clearly failed in its responsibility. Celebrations is one thing, but the State government without proper planning, without taking emergency services into confidence, took this urgent and unfortunate decision," wrote Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on X.