Bengaluru stampede toll 11, says CM; Kharge, Rahul express grief

At least 11 people have died in the tragic stampede outside Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday during a celebratory event to mark local team Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 victory, while several more have been injured, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has said.

The chaotic celebrations turned into a full-blown tragedy as frenzied fans tried to join the party inside the stadium to honour RCB's IPL triumph. However, the felicitation of the players went ahead nonetheless as the stadium was packed to the rafters despite the chaos.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed sadness over the tragedy and urged the state government to strengthen safety protocols to avoid such incidents in the future.

"I am deeply saddened by the tragic stampede in Bengaluru during the celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL 2025 victory. The loss of precious lives and the injuries sustained by many in this unfortunate incident are profoundly distressing. My thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured," Kharge said in a post on X.

Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said the stampede during RCB's IPL victory celebrations was heartbreaking.

"My condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. Wishing a swift and full recovery to all those injured. In this hour of grief, I stand with the people of Bengaluru. The Karnataka government must provide all possible support and relief to the affected families," Gandhi said in a post on X.

"This tragedy is a painful reminder: no celebration is worth a human life. Every safety protocol for public events must be reviewed and strictly enforced — lives must always come first," the former Congress president said.

"The Congress party stands in solidarity with the people of Bengaluru and commits to supporting all efforts to provide relief, medical help and assistance to the affected families by the Karnataka government," Kharge said in his post.

"The state government and relevant authorities must immediately review and strengthen safety protocols for such events to prevent any recurrence of such a tragedy. The joy of victory should never come at the cost of lives," the Congress chief added.

Thousands had converged outside the venue as police struggled to take control of the situation, resorting to mild use of force as well, as people desperate to get into the stadium were seen pressed against the entrance gate.

According to eyewitnesses, fans thronged the felicitation venue, and visuals from the area showed police shifting the injured and those who fell unconscious to nearby hospitals in ambulances.

With PTI inputs