Stampede at RCB victory celebration turns deadly: 11 killed, over 50 injured in tragedy

Bengaluru

What began as a moment of triumph quickly unraveled into a nightmare outside Bengaluru’s iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday evening. A celebration meant to honour Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic first IPL title win turned into chaos, as a deadly stampede claimed 11 lives and left over 50 injured.

In the aftermath, the ground bore silent witness to the horror — scattered shoes, crushed fan jerseys, toppled water bottles, and abandoned memorabilia littered the streets like echoes of joy that never came to be.

A sea of passionate supporters, estimated in the lakhs, had descended upon the stadium premises. The fever-pitch excitement of seeing their cricketing idols — especially RCB icon Virat Kohli — quickly spiraled out of control. Eyewitnesses spoke of young fans scaling compound walls, clinging to electric poles, and climbing trees for a better view. But the cheering soon turned into screams, as the crowd surged, collapsed, and crushed.

Among the dead were children, teenagers, and young adults — their dreams snatched away in the blink of an eye.

Faces behind the numbers

Divyanshi (13) had travelled all the way from Andhra Pradesh, her heart set on seeing her hero, Virat Kohli, in person. But outside Gate No. 3, she was caught in the heaving crowd. Suffocation and a severe head injury ended her young life. Her family now journeys back with her lifeless body, a pilgrimage no parent should have to make.

Poorna Chandra (26), a civil engineer from Mandya district, was working in Mysuru. A devoted RCB fan, he had taken a day off to be part of what was supposed to be a historic celebration. He never returned home.

Prajwal (20), a resident of Chintamani, had told his family he was going to Bengaluru for a job interview. Instead, he secretly joined the crowd outside the stadium — perhaps chasing a moment of cricket magic. He became one of the 11.

Shiva Linga Swamy, a teenager from Yelahanka who had just passed his Class 10 exams, had told his parents he was off to school to collect his transfer certificate. His real destination: the RCB fan event that would be his last.

The remaining victims — Bhoomik (20), Chinmayi Shetty (19), Sahana (19), Shravan (20), Devi (29), Manoj Kumar (33), and Akshata (27) — were all in the prime of their youth. They came for joy. They found tragedy.

Eyewitnesses describe the moment

According to a survivor with whom BLR.POST spoke to panic erupted when misinformation spread that the RCB roadshow had been canceled and the team would appear directly at the stadium. Hundreds of women and children rushed the gates — many without tickets. “Police tried to hold them back, but they climbed gates and pushed through. Around 600 to 700 people forced the gate open — and that’s when the stampede began,” the eyewitness said, his voice cracking with emotion. “I tried to help some of them, but I couldn’t do anything. The crowd was uncontrollable.”

Government response

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced an ex gratia of ₹10 lakh each to the families of the deceased and has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. “This is a heartbreaking day for Karnataka. Those who lost their lives were not just fans, they were young people full of dreams,” he said in a press statement late last night.

As Bengaluru mourns, questions are being asked about the lack of crowd management, the failure to control ticketless entry, and the absence of basic safety arrangements for an event of this scale.