11 murdered in rush at cricket carnival in India

2025-06-16 05:22:00

(MENAFN) A tragic stampede at a cricket stadium in Bengaluru has left at least 11 people dead and over 50 injured during celebrations of the Royal Challengers' first Indian Premier League (IPL) title. The incident happened on Wednesday as an enormous crowd gathered outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which holds 35,000 spectators but was overwhelmed by an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 fans, according to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The chaos erupted when fans tried to enter the stadium through a small gate, triggered by rumors of free passes being distributed at another entrance. Emergency responders struggled to reach the injured amid the dense crowd, forcing the cancellation of a planned victory parade for safety reasons.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia expressed sorrow over the event, criticizing the lack of proper crowd management. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences, calling the tragedy “heartrending” and extending sympathies to the victims’ families.

The deadly stampede has cast a shadow over Bengaluru’s historic IPL win, raising urgent questions about safety and crowd control at large-scale public events. The disaster echoes a similar tragedy in January, when over 30 people died during a massive religious festival crowd surge.

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