From joy to horror: Countdown to chaos, a timeline of the Bengaluru stampede that claimed 11 lives

NEW DELHI: What began as a historic celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden IPL triumph quickly descended into a horrifying tragedy on Wednesday, a collapse of civic planning and official accountability that led to a deadly stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium, killing 11 people and injuring over 75.

Announced barely hours in advance, the city’s much-hyped victory 'parade' saw no coordination, no clarity, and no crowd control — only confusion, chaos, and eventually, crushed lives. By the time the team lifted the trophy from the dressing-room balcony and waved to the crowd, the damage had already been done. Bengaluru, which had waited 17 long years to rejoice, was left mourning its own failure.

Timeline of confusion

The chaos had begun long before the first fans reached the venue.

At 7.01am, RCB announced a celebratory parade from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium — but without details on time, route, or entry protocols. From 11am, fans began pouring into both venues, expecting a grand public celebration. Police, still waiting for an official event blueprint, issued a vague statement around noon confirming a felicitation at the stadium at 5pm — but remained non-committal on whether a roadshow would happen at all.

By the time Virat Kohli and the team landed at HAL Airport around 2.10pm and were received by deputy CM D K Shivakumar, the crowd had already swelled at the stadium gates.

At 3.14pm, RCB urged fans to “get free victory passes online” — triggering another wave of panic as many interpreted it as a signal to rush to the venue.By 4.30pm, the situation had spiralled out of control. Metro services at Vidhana Soudha and Cubbon Park were suspended due to crowd pressure, CM Siddaramaiah and other dignitaries reached the Assembly, and the stadium gates saw unprecedented rush.

Just minutes later, at 4.51pm, a stampede broke out near Gate No. 7 of the stadium — a gate located opposite the main entrance — amid rumours of pass distribution.

A celebration undone by mismanagement

Police sources said more than 3 lakh fans descended upon the area, far exceeding the 35,000-capacity of the stadium. Gate 7 turned into a deathtrap after social media chatter suggested that entry passes were being given out there. In the absence of crowd marshals, security staff, or barricading, fans scrambled to get in, resulting in a crush that turned fatal.Most of the casualties were young people. The deceased include Bhoomik (21), Sahana (19), Chinmayi (19), Poornachandra (32), Prajwal (20), Dewanshi (13), Shravan (20), Devi (29), Shivalingaiah (17), Manoj (33), and Akshatha, whose age was yet to be confirmed. Of the 75 injured, 33 were hospitalised, and 42 were treated as outpatients.Despite deploying around 1,500 personnel, the police were overwhelmed. Officials admitted that splitting forces between Vidhana Soudha and the stadium had left both venues vulnerable.

“There was no clarity from organisers on what was happening where. Fans were equally clueless,” said a senior officer on duty.

Political spectacle over preparedness

Senior police officers told TOI that they had raised red flags over the lack of preparation — but political pressure trumped caution. “We advised against holding celebrations at such short notice. But instructions came directly from the top to go ahead,” a senior IPS officer said.At Vidhana Soudha, politicians queued up with their families for photos with the players and the cup, while chaos brewed outside.

Eyewitnesses recounted the frenzy. Sinchana N, a 25-year-old who narrowly escaped, said, “There was no order. Police were just pushing people instead of guiding them. People fell, glass panels shattered, and panic spread like wildfire.”Others said a spell of rain around 5.30pm worsened the crowding. Naveen B, a resident of JP Nagar, said, “The roadshow was called off. But by then, it was too late. The crowd was already here with no way in or out.”

Failure across the board

Insiders in the government and police said there was complete breakdown in communication between stakeholders — RCB management, the police, KSCA, BBMP, and political leaders. “We got instructions to be at the venues only around 2pm. By then, people had already flooded the area. There was no time to assess, let alone act,” said an official.False rumours about gate numbers and last-minute changes to access protocols triggered sudden surges.

Gates remained shut for long, security grills collapsed, and fans — many of them minors and women — were trampled as they fell. “It was a nightmare,” said Avinash S, who had come from RR Nagar. “I saw an ambulance packed with 40 injured people. There was no space even for first responders to move.”The police eventually resorted to lathicharge near Cubbon Park Circle to disperse crowds around 6.30pm. But by then, Bengaluru’s day of celebration had already turned into a day of mourning.

Aftermath: Grief and blame

The state government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. CM Siddaramaiah announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the deceased and assured free treatment for the injured. KSCA also pledged Rs 5 lakh to each bereaved family.But for many, the damage is irreparable. “RCB gave this city a reason to celebrate. And we failed them. What happened today wasn’t a tragedy — it was negligence,” said the grieving brother of one of the victims. “How can a city that boasts of being India’s tech capital not manage a 1-km parade?”Senior bureaucrats admitted that had there been even a few hours more to plan, lives could have been saved.

“The entire celebration was turned into a political tamasha. No crowd modelling, no contingency plan, no stakeholder coordination — just one big PR show,” said an IAS officer, requesting anonymity.

The cost of unprepared celebration

For a city that has long waited to cheer its team, Wednesday should have been about flags, cheers, and fanfare. Instead, it ended with funerals. A victory 17 years in the making was reduced to tears, panic, and broken trust — not by fans, but by an establishment that failed to rise to the moment.