Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s winning parade, which was set to be the biggest celebration in the state, ended in tragedy as a crowd stampede claimed 11 lives outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Karnataka government had planned a victory parade the day after RCB won their maiden IPL title. Although the parade was later cancelled by the Karnataka government, large crowds still gathered to welcome the players at the airport and followed them to Vidhan Soudha, where the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister felicitated the team.
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Later, as the players departed from Vidhan Soudha to the stadium just 2 km away the crowd swelled to an uncontrollable size. While the stadium has a capacity of over 35,000, more than 1,00,000 additional fans gathered outside and attempted to force their way in. This resulted in a stampede that tragically left 11 people dead and 60 injured outside the venue.
Also read: RCB issues an official statement after stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium kills fans
Virat Kohli Mourns as RCB Celebration Turns Tragic
What began as a celebration for their maiden IPL title clinch turned into a sad incident, marking a dark day for RCB and their fans. The Karnataka government faced heavy criticism over security arrangements for the event
RCB legend Virat Kohli mourned the heartbreaking incident, sharing on Instagram: “I am at a loss for words. I am completely heartbroken.”
RCB Pledges Financial Support
Royal Challengers Bengaluru management announced financial assistance of ₹10 lakh each to the families of the eleven deceased victims. In addition to this aid, RCB has launched a fund called ‘RCB Cares’ to support fans who were injured during the incident.
IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal also expressed grief, saying, “Whatever happened there is very sad,” but clarified that the BCCI and IPL management were unaware of the planned event. He added that this serves as a wake-up call for better preparedness if teams intend to host such large-scale celebrations in the future.
