When joy turned to horror for Bengaluru fans celebrating team's IPL win

Bengaluru, a city known for its love of cricket, was filled with excitement and joy when the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team won the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the first time. The victory parade was expected to be a grand celebration, and thousands of fans gathered near the Chinnaswamy Stadium to cheer for their team. Among them was Shamili, who is not a cricket fan but was caught up in the excitement. Wearing a jersey with the name of Virat Kohli, the city’s cricket hero, she joined her sister and friends to celebrate. However, the day took a tragic turn when the crowd grew far larger than expected, leading to a deadly stampede. The police had anticipated around 100,000 people, but the crowd swelled to between 200,000 and 300,000, overwhelming the stadium that could only hold 32,000. People climbed trees and tried to scale walls to get a better view, creating dangerous conditions. Shamili recalls the panic as the crowd surged uncontrollably. She was pushed to the ground and feared for her life as people stepped over her. Many others who had come to enjoy the festivities found themselves trapped in the chaos. The police tried to control the crowd using lathis, long bamboo sticks, but this led to injuries, including to Haneef Mohammed, an engineering student who was hit on the head and needed hospital care. Tragically, 11 people lost their lives, ranging in age from 13 to 43. Among the victims were students and young professionals who had come to celebrate with their families and friends. A doctor reported that most victims died from suffocation or broken ribs. The large crowd also delayed ambulances from reaching the injured quickly. Despite the chaos outside, the RCB team continued their victory lap inside the stadium, unaware of the disaster unfolding nearby. The IPL chairman said he was not informed about the event’s planning, and RCB officials only learned about the stampede through phone calls. The team expressed deep sorrow over the incident, and Virat Kohli shared his heartbreak on social media. The Chief Minister of Karnataka announced a magisterial inquiry to investigate the tragedy. Many are questioning how such a large and uncontrolled event was allowed to happen. What was meant to be a day of joy and celebration turned into a heartbreaking tragedy for the people of Bengaluru.