RCB Parade Tragedy: 7 Dead in Stampede Outside Chinnaswamy Stadium

What was meant to be a historic celebration of RCB’s IPL win turned into a deadly stampede in Bengaluru, killing seven and injuring dozens.

Ankit Tiwari 2 weeks agoLast Updated: June 9, 2025

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Reviewed & Published by HH News Desk

Bengaluru, June 4 — What started as a celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) historic IPL 2025 title ended in utter chaos. A stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium killed at least seven people and left more than 40 injured on Wednesday evening.

The crowd had gathered to see their team return home after clinching their first-ever IPL trophy. But the turnout was far bigger than what the authorities expected—or prepared for.

Panic Outside the Stadium

By late afternoon, streets around the stadium were jammed. People were climbing dividers. Flags were waving. Some had been waiting for hours. But the gates stayed shut.

According to several people present at the scene, the crowd started to push once a few officials were spotted inside the stadium compound. There was no announcement. No police guidance. And within minutes, the pushing turned into a stampede.

Some fans fell. Others got dragged down. The pressure built fast, especially near Gate 2, where metal barricades gave way. Videos from the scene showed bodies being lifted out by civilians. Not police, not medics—civilians.

At Bowring Hospital, doctors confirmed the deaths. Most of the victims were in their 20s and 30s. Chest injuries, suffocation, head trauma. Around a dozen others are still in serious condition. Another 30 or so were discharged after being treated for cuts, broken bones, and panic attacks.

No Crowd Control, Say Eyewitnesses

There were no tickets. No queue lanes. No holding zones. No loudspeakers. Just a giant crowd and closed gates.

“We didn’t even know if the team was inside or not,” said Harsh, a student from Koramangala who was caught in the crush. “Suddenly people screamed and we were all stuck. Couldn’t move forward or back.”

Others blamed the police directly. “Where was the planning? They knew the team was coming. They knew people would come,” said Anitha, a 42-year-old who escaped with bruised ribs. “But there were just two constables near our section.”

Emergency services took nearly 20 minutes to reach the gate, according to a security guard posted nearby. By then, the damage was done.

Inside, RCB Celebrated

While the stampede played out outside, inside the stadium the celebration went on.

The RCB players, including Virat Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar, were being introduced to a cheering crowd. Music played, cameras rolled. Most inside the stadium had no idea what had happened just outside the gates.

According to India Today, Kohli was later seen asking about the incident once officials informed the team. Sources say the franchise may cancel future public events.

No official comment has been released by RCB yet.

Political Blame Begins

The incident has already triggered sharp political reactions.

BJP leader Amit Malviya blamed the Congress-run Karnataka government for poor planning and crowd mismanagement. In a post on social media, he said, “Complete collapse of law and order. The government failed to protect its people even during a peaceful celebration.”

Tragic stampede in Bengaluru. A celebration has turned into a nightmare.

At an event organised by the Karnataka State Government to celebrate RCB’s IPL campaign, a stampede broke out due to poor planning and crowd mismanagement.

➡️ 7 people have lost their lives
➡️ 16 injured,…
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 4, 2025

The government, meanwhile, has ordered a probe but has not yet responded to the criticism. No compensation has been announced for the families of those who died.

This silence has already sparked anger on the ground. “They come on TV after elections. But now? No one’s here,” said Naveen, whose brother was among the dead.

Experts Call It Avoidable

Urban safety experts have said the stampede was not a freak accident. It was a failure of basics.

“There were no basic crowd buffers. No zoning. No advance communication about what time the gates would open,” said Anuradha Rao, a public safety consultant based in Bengaluru. “This wasn’t a riot. It was fans. The most predictable kind of crowd.”

Many also questioned why the stadium—located in a congested part of the city—was used for such a mass event without proper infrastructure.

“The city has open grounds. If they wanted to honour the team, they should’ve done it at Parade Grounds or Kanteerava,” said retired DCP V. Srinivas. “This was a setup for disaster.”

Mourning and Anger

Outside the hospitals, families gathered late into the night. Some waited for news. Others had already received it.

“He was just 25,” said one father, sitting silently near the casualty ward entrance. “He only went to see Kohli.”

The names of the deceased have not all been released, but local media has confirmed that at least four of them were residents of Bengaluru city. One was a delivery worker. Another worked at a mobile repair shop.

The IPL trophy has returned to Bengaluru after years of heartbreak for RCB. But joy quickly turned into mourning.

Seven fans went to celebrate a dream. They never came home.

Sources: The Times of India, Reuters, India Today, eyewitness interviews, hospital officials.

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Ankit Tiwari

Reporting Fellow at Hindustan Herald

Ankit Tiwari is a Reporting Fellow at Hindustan Herald, dedicated to bringing readers comprehensive daily coverage of the world of sports. A student at Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi, Ankit combines his academic pursuit with a deep understanding of various sports, from major international tournaments to emerging local talent. His daily reporting aims to capture the excitement, strategy, and human stories that define athletic competition.