What Led To Bengaluru Stampede During RCB Victory Parade? Witnesses List Lapses That Led To Tragedy

Following RCB's victory, a stampede in Bengaluru resulted from a lack of crowd control and poor communication. Thousands gathered at the assembly and stadium, fuelled by rumours of the team's arrival and free passes.

In the stampede that took place in Bengaluru, the witnesses have shed light on the series of events that led to the tragic incident following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations. Soon after news spread that the team would arrive in Bengaluru the next morning with the trophy, excitement surged among fans.

The early reports suggested that the team would leave the airport between 10-11 AM and head to the Vidhana Soudha (state assembly) for a victory parade. It led thousands of fans to begin gathering near the assembly building from the early hours of the day. The crowd continued to increase, and by afternoon, it reached several lakhs, leaving no space around the assembly premises.

With free passes being distributed, people also started making their way to the Chinnaswamy Stadium after learning about an evening event. The uncontrolled crowd attempted to breach boundaries of the assembly, climbing trees, statues, metro stations, and even the High Court boundary walls to catch a glimpse of the players.

The situation further escalated when people feared that the players had arrived at the assembly through a different route. Frustrated, the crowd surged forward in an attempt to see them. When police and security personnel tried to control the crowd using mild force, a stampede broke out.

Panic spread further when people realised they might still see the team at the stadium, just a kilometre away. In a desperate rush, the crowd began moving toward the stadium, unaware that only 35,000 passes had been issued and the venue was already at full capacity. Many also rushed via metro in hopes of reaching the venue on time.

According to the witnesses, the number of people near the stadium reached 2-3 lakh, while the security was grossly inadequate. As the team’s bus left the assembly, fans outside the stadium began climbing walls and forcing open gates.

Police intervention once again led to chaos, and the stampede intensified. Most of the reported deaths occurred outside the stadium, while only injuries were reported outside the assembly.

The primary causes of the tragedy appear to be the lack of accurate public communication and the failure to control and manage the crowd at several locations.