India Stampede: 11 Dead during Royal Challengers’ Celebration

By Staff, Agencies

A tragic Bengaluru stampede during a victory celebration for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricket team claimed the lives of 11 people and left 47 others injured, according to local media reports.

The incident occurred outside a stadium in India’s tech capital on Wednesday, as thousands gathered to mark the team's Indian Premier League [IPL] victory.

Police have arrested four individuals in connection with the incident, including an official from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and three members of the event management company responsible for organizing the celebration. The arrests were made early Friday morning.

The stampede broke out as fans without passes attempted to force their way through the gates of the stadium, where the team had planned to hold the celebration. Despite the franchise stating in advance that passes were limited, the overwhelming crowd led to chaos.

Media reports stated that this was the first time in 45 years that a crowd crush at a sporting event in India had resulted in fatalities. The team later described the incident as “unfortunate” and announced a compensation of one million Indian rupees for the families of each of the deceased.

The tragedy has sparked broader discussions about public safety during large-scale events. India’s head cricket coach Gautam Gambhir weighed in on Thursday, questioning the need for such public roadshows if safety cannot be guaranteed.

“Celebration is important. But more important than that is the life of any person. So, if we are not prepared or if we can't handle the crowd in that way, then we might as well not have these roadshows,” Gambhir told reporters.

Stampedes are not uncommon in India, particularly at religious gatherings, but fatal incidents at sports celebrations remain rare.