Stampede at RCB victory event: 11 dead, 33 injured near Chinnaswamy Stadium

Bengaluru, June 05: Eleven people died and 33 injured following a stampede near the Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium here, where a large number of people gathered to participate in the RCB team’s IPL victory celebrations, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday.

Expressing grief over the incident, calling it an “unexpected tragedy”, he announced Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the kin of all those deceased, while also ordering a magisterial inquiry into the incident.

“The Karnataka state cricket association had organised a programme for the victory celebration (at the stadium), there was also a programme from the government (at Vidhana Soudha). At the Chinnaswamy Stadium, a big tragedy happened. Due to the stampede, 11 people have died and 33 have suffered injuries,” Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital and Vydehi Super Speciality Hospital here, he said such a tragedy shouldn’t have happened. The government expresses grief over the incident.

Stating that most of the deceased are youth, including men and women, with several of them being students, the CM said the government has announced Rs 10 lakh compensation to the kin of each deceased.

Instructions have been given to provide free treatment for the injured, he said, adding that the total number of injured, including those who have been treated as outpatients and discharged, is 47.

As per doctors, all the injured are out of danger. He further said the government will provide all necessary facilities, including food and other things.

RCB won their maiden IPL title with a six-run victory over Punjab Kings in the final at Ahmedabad on Tuesday, ending an 18-year wait. The team had finally got to lift the trophy after finishing runners-up on three occasions previously.

The deceased were identified as Bhoomik (20), Sahana (19), Poornachand (32), Chinmayi (19), Divyanshi (13), Shravan (20), Devi (29), Shivaling (17), Manoj Kumar (33) and Akshata. One person who is aged about 20 years is yet to be identified.

Shravan is a native of Chintamani, Devi is from Andhra Pradesh, Shivaling from Kannur, Akshata from Mangaluru and Poornachand is from Mandya district, official sources said.

Terming the stampede as “unexpected tragedy”, Siddaramaiah said he has ordered for a magesterial inquiry by the Deputy Commissioner of the District with a 15 days time frame, and based on the inquiry, action will be taken against the guilty.

People and fans had gathered beyond our expectations. In front of Vidhana Soudha, more than 1 lakh people had gathered and there was no untoward incident there, but at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the tragedy happened. “No one had expected it, neither the cricket association, nor the government,” he said.

Noting that the stadium has the capacity for 35,000 people, but 2-3 lakh people had come, he further said, “the match happened last evening (Tuesday) and today this event was organised by the cricket association, so no one had expected that so many people would come. The expectation was the equivalent number of people for the stadium’s capacity or slightly more than that may gather.”

Explaining what exactly led to the chaos and stampede, the CM said, “There are small gates. The people entered through the gates. They have broken the gates also, so a stampede has taken place. Nobody had expected so much of a crowd to come. Prima facie looks like that. I’m not saying nothing has happened. Inquiry will bring out facts.”

Not willing to react to BJP leaders and Union Ministers’ criticism of his government over the incident, the CM accused them of playing politics.

“I do not want to play politics here in this case….that is why, despite people gathering there unexpectedly. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry. Whoever is guilty, whether it is a security failure or any other failure — all of them will be covered under the magisterial inquiry,” he said.

Asked about allegations that lack of preparedness led to the incident, Siddaramaiah said he or his government don’t want to defend the tragedy that has happened, and don’t want to play politics in this.

“Let us see the outcome of the magisterial report, I will give 15 days time,” he added.

Pointing out that it was the cricket association which organised the programme at the stadium, the CM said the government’s responsibility was to provide police security there that’s all. “Untoward incident has happened there….the entire police force available in the Bengaluru city was deployed,” he said in reply to a question.

He also said that several such stampedes have taken place and he doesn’t want to defend it, by pointing at what had happened at Kumbh Mela (where stampede had occurred).

Responding to a question, Siddaramaiah said people had come beyond the capacity. He also clarified that tickets were distributed to the number of seats that were available.

Asked whether there was negligence on the part of the cricket association, he said it will be known from the inquiry whether the cricket association were at fault or police or was there administration lapse.