Bengaluru Stampede Survivors Recount Horror: 'People Stamped With Shoes All Over Me'

Last Updated:June 05, 2025, 08:04 IST

“People were running over the barricade while the lower part of my body was stuck below the metal barricade," said one of the survivors of the stampede in Bengaluru.

The stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium left 11 dead and 47 injured. (Image: PTI, News18)

When Venu decided to head towards Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday to buy tickets and watch his favourite players — more importantly, Virat Kohli in real life — he had just one thought in mind: he wanted to be part of history. He wanted to witness history where people had gathered to watch the celebrations and the victory procession of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team raise the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy on Karnataka’s soil, a win that came after 18 years.

A die-hard RCB fan, Venu is the son of a daily wage coolie. A survivor of the tragic stampede in Bengaluru that claimed the lives of 11 young people and injured 47 others, he was among the severely injured.

The bone near his ankle has been shattered in the stampede, and he has to undergo a series of operations to set it right. He suffered serious injuries after a police barricade fell on his leg.

The young student had taken the metro to reach Chinnaswamy Stadium and arrived at Gate Number 6, where the crowds were struggling to get a ticket.

‘I Couldn’t Even Breathe’

“People were running over the barricade, while the lower part of my body was stuck below the metal barricade. Even my cries for help couldn’t be heard as the crowds were screaming as well," said the 21-year-old student of Bachelor of Commerce from the KR Puram Government College.

“I stood among the people in the crowds, but after a point I couldn’t even breathe. I gave up. I thought it was best to leave the place and tried to pull out, but the crowds were so packed I could not move. Suddenly, I got pushed and the police barricade fell on my leg. All I could feel was excruciating pain and writhed until I was saved by a policeman who pulled me aside," he told News18.

Despite the injury, Venu wants to make his father proud and has been studying hard to get a good job.

“I’m expected to take the NTPC exam next week. Despite this injury, I will write it and help my family," he said from his hospital bed, braving the pain.

‘Despite Having Tickets…’

Admitted at Bowring Hospital and under medical care at the government facility, lying next to Venu was Rahul, another die-hard Virat Kohli fan. Named after India’s famous cricketer himself, Rahul, who works in an insurance company, was determined to enter the Chinnaswamy Stadium and witness his Virat Kohli speak and lift the cup.

“We had booked tickets on the platform that was selling them, but were unable to download it. So we thought we would go to the stadium, scan the code and enter. But the crowds began to swell, and when we tried to go in, we were pushed around. I suddenly found myself on the ground with severe pain in my neck," recalled Rahul to News18.

“This happened to us despite having tickets, he said.

‘I Was Stamped On My Abdomen’

Along with his fiancée—who did not want to be named—and her sister, Rahul had insisted on being at the stadium.

His fiancée had borne the brunt of the stampede—she fell to the ground and lost consciousness as people trampled over her.

“I remember falling down, and there were shoes all over me. I was stamped on my abdomen and the swelling and pain is unbearable," she recalled. Both Rahul and his fiancée are expected to marry in the next two months.

Rahul’s fiancée told News18 that, “The moment I saw the crazy crowds, I told Rahul let’s go back. I even tempted him with a good chicken biryani. Told him we could skip watching this and go eat somewhere. But he was determined and I know his craze."

But what she went through next was indescribable.

“I was out of breath and thought I would die if I remained conscious for a minute more. I don’t know how I survived this. I was pulled towards the road divider, and later people sprinkled water on me and brought me back to consciousness.

“It’s my fault," said a guilt-ridden Rahul as he adjusted his neck support while undergoing treatment at Bowring.

“I’m a really big fan. But I regret this decision," he said.

Her sister also suffered injuries to her head and was awaiting the result of a CT scan.

“We are just waiting to see the results and get back home. Things happened so quickly. Never did we expect to be part of such a tragedy," they said.

‘One Policeman Hit My Head’

Another survivor, Haneef Mohammed, is also a B.Tech student and had come to Bengaluru to study. His love for cricket goes back to his childhood, and when he found the opportunity to meet his cricket stars, he wasted no time. But the problem was, he didn’t have a ticket. He thought he could reach the stadium and maybe get a pass or ticket to enter.

“By the time I went towards the gates, the crowds were running around, and the police were lathi-charging to control them. The lathis were being struck from the top, and one policeman hit my head…"

Having sustained head injuries, Haneef is still in shock. Hoping to get a job soon, as he has just completed his course. Originally from Bijapur, he was hoping to find employment to support his family.

“I don’t know how to cope with what has just happened," he said.

When asked, as an RCB fan who survived this nightmare, Haneef sheepishly smiled and said he would never attend an event like this again.

‘My Husband Is Missing’

Among the stories of the injured, there was still hope—but also despair. A young lady who did not wish to be named was seen standing at the hospital, asking the doctors about her missing husband.

“My husband is missing. He had gone to watch the victory parade, and now his phone is switched off. I have called so many hospitals," she said. She has been visiting all the hospitals in the vicinity searching for him.

Such was her distress that the bike taxi driver of an app based company she had booked accompanied her to three different hospitals to help her find her husband.

“Please let me know if you find any information about him," she was heard saying, as she gave her number to hospital staff.

Outside the hospital, a group of people gathered to mourn the loss of their friend Akshata, who passed away in the stampede. Her college mates and friends had come together, shocked and inconsolable with tears, unable to believe that the life of the young 25-year-old had been snuffed out—especially when she had only gone to witness a joyous moment that turned into a shadow of death.

The official count of the dead stands at 11, and the number of injured — including those who received treatment and returned home — is 47, according to the Karnataka government. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident, but the real cause of the stampede is yet to be determined.

However, two major factors appear to have contributed to the tragedy: a complete lack of coordination between various agencies—including the law and order police, traffic police, KSCA, and Metro officials — as thousands of people poured into an arena like Chinnaswamy Stadium, which can accommodate only around 32,000 people at a time. The second was the gross underestimation of the size and behaviour of the crowd as they poured into the area where the RCB team was being felicitated.

Rohini Swamy

Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t...Read More

Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t...

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