At least 11 individuals lost their lives on Wednesday in a crowd surge that occurred outside a cricket stadium in the Indian city of Bengaluru. Fans had gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s inaugural Indian Premier League title victory, authorities confirmed.
As the team’s bus arrived in the evening, thousands of people, many waving the home team’s red flag, lined the streets surrounding the Chinnaswamy Stadium, as depicted by TV channels. Some spectators resorted to climbing trees and even the stadium wall to gain a better vantage point.
Police reported that as the celebration progressed, some individuals without passes attempted to force their way through the gates, leading to further disorder between the stadium’s perimeter and the main arena.
Images from the scene vividly showed people clambering over one another.
Karnataka state chief minister Siddaramaiah, who uses only one name, informed reporters that the incident resulted in at least 11 fatalities and 47 injuries.
“At a time of celebration, this unfortunate event should not have happened. We are saddened by this. The fans that showed up were beyond our expectations,” he stated.
One police officer was seen carrying an injured spectator to an ambulance, while others congregated around another individual who appeared to be unconscious on the ground. Visual evidence also showed some people receiving CPR.
