RCB victory celebration stampede: Did 'free ticket' rumour trigger deadly tragedy at Chinnaswamy Stadium?

A rumour about free tickets at Chinnaswamy Stadium's Gate No. 7 triggered chaos during RCB's IPL victory celebration, leading to a deadly stampede. Poor crowd control, sudden rain, and confusion worsened the tragedy, leaving 11 dead.

Bengaluru: Chaos broke out near Gate No. 7 of Chinnaswamy Stadium after rumours spread that free tickets would be distributed to celebrate Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) anticipated IPL victory. The gate quickly became a scene of panic and confusion as huge crowds rushed in, leading to a deadly stampede.

Eyewitnesses described the situation as uncontrollable. Achimanya from Rajajinagar said, “People completely lost control. It was a disaster.” The situation worsened when sudden rain began around 5:30 pm, adding to the chaos.

Chinnaswamy Stadium has 21 stands and 13 gates. Gates 9 and 10 were reserved for state cricket association members, while gates 5, 6, 7, 19, and 20, along the team’s main entry route, experienced the highest crowd density. Most casualties were reported at Gate No. 7.

Poor crowd control under scrutiny

Poor crowd management and delays in deciding whether to hold a victory parade in the city further contributed to the tragedy.

Avinash S, 31, from RR Nagar, who escaped injury, said, “There was an ambulance carrying around 40 injured people. I was lucky to get out in time. Even the police were struggling to control the crowd.”

Sinchana N, 25, who was caught in the stampede, added, “I avoided the worst because I arrived late. The police weren’t really controlling the crowd; they were just pushing people around.”

As ambulances struggled to move through the dense crowd, police resorted to lathi charge near Cubbon Park Circle around 6:30 pm to disperse the gathering and restore order.