The RCB victory celebrations in Bengaluru took a tragic turn on Wednesday, leaving eleven dead and over 50 fans injured near the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Thousands of supporters had gathered to mark Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden IPL title win when a sudden stampede broke out.
The authorities have confirmed that the bodies of two persons are at Bowring Hospital and that of four others at Vaidehi Hospital.
Six people are being treated in the ICU of the Vaidehi Hospital, and three are admitted to the ICU. Sources confirmed the death of the other two persons.
The identities of the deceased are yet to be established.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar visited the Bowring Hospital.
The stampede took place when thousands of fans attempted to enter the stadium in a hurry from various gates. Police at the scene transported the injured to ambulances and shifted them to the nearby Bowring Hospital.
In a separate incident, one fan attempting to jump into the stadium fell and broke his leg.
Despite a strong police presence, authorities struggled to manage the overwhelming crowd. People climbed trees and perched on branches to view the event.
Earlier, the Karnataka government had scrapped the victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium, citing security risks.
Still, massive crowds gathered across the city locations. Police had to resort to a mild cane-charge to control the rush at Vidhana Soudha, where a felicitation programme was organised.
Officers have been on high alert since Tuesday night, attempting to maintain order. However, the sheer size of the crowd outpaced their efforts.
Deputy CM Welcomes RCB At Airport
RCB players landed at HAL airport on Wednesday and received a warm welcome from Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. He greeted each player with a bouquet and presented Virat Kohli with both the RCB and Kannada flags.
Kohli posed cheerfully with the Deputy CM, who later waved the RCB flag from his vehicle en route to the airport.
Further updates on the stampede and crowd control efforts are awaited.
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