05 June 2025 : Two of the 11 victims who lost their lives in Wednesday’s stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium were an 18-year-old son of a pani puri vendor and a 14-year-old schoolgirl
Outside the mortuary at Bowring Hospital, the father of Manoj Kumar, a first-year college student, stood in shock. Manoj had accompanied friends to witness the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory celebration when the crowd surged uncontrollably, leading to a deadly stampede, the report added.
Also among the deceased was 14-year-old Divyanshi, a schoolgirl from Kannuru. She had come to the stadium with her mother, aunt, younger sister, and other relatives for the team’s felicitation event.
The incident occurred as thousands gathered at short notice for the team’s IPL victory parade. Poor crowd control and lack of preparedness led to a stampede-like situation that claimed 11 lives and injured at least 47.
RCB later issued a statement expressing grief, “We are deeply anguished by the unfortunate incidents that have come to light through media reports regarding public gatherings all over Bengaluru in anticipation of the team’s arrival this afternoon. The safety and well-being of everyone is of utmost importance to us. RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extends our heartfelt condolences to the affected families.”
DK Shivakumar apologises
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday expressed regret over the tragic stampede near Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives during the RCB victory celebrations.
“This should not have happened, and we never expected such a big crowd,” Shivakumar told ANI. “The stadium’s capacity is 35,000, but more than 3 lakh people were there. Gates have been broken… We apologise for this incident. We want to know the facts and give a clear message.”
The deputy chief minister also alleged that the BJP was politicising the tragedy. “BJP is doing politics… We are very sorry for the incident. We will work out a better solution in the future,” he added.
Summary:
Stampede at RCB celebration in Bengaluru kills 11, including pani puri seller’s son and schoolgirl; many injured, inquiry launched.