On June 4, 2025, a horrible incident took place in Bengaluru when a stampede occurred outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The crowd had gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)’s first-ever IPL title win. What was meant to be a joyful event ended with 11 people losing their lives and 33 others injured.
What Actually Happened?
After RCB won the IPL 2025 title, a grand victory parade was planned by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to honour RCB players for the win after 18 years. The team was supposed to travel from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium, where fans could see their heroes.
However, over 2 lakh (200,000) people turned up, far exceeding the stadium’s capacity. The capacity of the stadium is only around 32,000. Around 4PM, a rumour spread that free passes were being distributed at Gate 7. The narrow entrances and lack of proper crowd control led to pushing, panic, and eventually, a deadly stampede near Gate 3.
Big Confusion Occured
RCB announced a victory parade on social media on June 4, but there was no clear approval from the police. Fans got online passes, expecting a big celebration like India’s 2024 T20 World Cup parade in Mumbai.
However, no official update about a cancellation came until later. Bengaluru Traffic Police confirmed it was off at 11:56 AM, yet RCB kept posting about it even at 3:30 PM. This mixed messaging left fans confused.
Injuries and Rescue Efforts
11 people died in the stampede. 33 people were injured, some were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Ambulances and emergency teams responded quickly, but for many, help came very late. Survivors said there was confusion and very little guidance from security staff.
Government’s Response
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called the tragedy “deeply Shocked.” He admitted that the government had not expected such a massive crowd and that better planning should have been done. The state announced that the medical treatment for the injured would be free and that financial help would be given to the families of those who died, ₹10 lakhs will be given to victims families.
A magisterial inquiry ( a type of official investigation) was ordered to find out what went wrong and who was responsible. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered Condolence, calling the incident “heartrending”.
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What BCCI and IPL Officials Said
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia stated “This incident is a wake-up call. Every year, one team wins the IPL, and celebrations happen in their city. So we need to plan better so that such a tragedy doesn’t happen again. Right now, the BCCI does not have control over celebrations that are organized privately by a team or local groups”.
IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal said “We had no idea that any celebration or victory parade was planned in Bengaluru. We don’t know who organized it or how, so many people came. But we’re taking this seriously and will make sure such things don’t happen in the future.”
RCB’ Official Statement
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru team also shared their sorrow. In their statement, they said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident during the public gatherings in Bengaluru. The safety of everyone is most important to us. We mourn the loss of lives and offer our heartfelt condolences to the families affected. As soon as we learned about the situation, we changed our plans and followed the instructions of the local authorities. We request all our fans to stay safe.”
Why Are People Angry?
Many fans and Citizens are upset about how poorly the event was managed. There were no clear instructions, not enough security, and no control over how many people were allowed near the stadium. Experts say this tragedy could have been avoided with better planning.
The Stampede out of Chinnaswamy Stadium is a heartbreaking reminder of how dangerous big crowds can be when not managed properly. Bengaluru was ready to celebrate a proud moment in its sports history, but instead, the city is mourning. As investigations continue, people are demanding answers and more importantly, action to make sure something like this never happens again.
Written by Kinjal Walantra
