Siddaramaiah Says Cricket Body Organised RCB Event, Cites Crowd Surge Before Bengaluru Stampede

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Last Updated:June 04, 2025, 21:20 IST

The CM also announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased and assured that the government would bear the medical expenses of the injured

Bengaluru Stampede: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said the government had not anticipated such a large turnout at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which led to the death of 11 people in a stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebration.

Siddaramaiah expressed deep sorrow over the tragic stampede and ordered a probe. “We are committed to finding out what went wrong and ensuring accountability," he said.

The Chief Minister also announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased and assured that the government would bear the medical expenses of the injured.

Addressing the media, Siddaramaiah said, “This is an unfortunate and painful incident. The government expresses deep grief over this tragedy. Young people lost their lives, and some of them were students. My heartfelt condolences to their families."

Crowd Turnout Far Exceeded Expectations: CM

The Chief Minister admitted that the crowd turnout far exceeded expectations, with around 2-3 lakh people gathering near the stadium, which has a capacity of only 32,000. “Nobody, not even the government, expected such a massive turnout," he said.

He further pointed out that a similar crowd had gathered at Vidhana Soudha, where an estimated 1 lakh fans assembled, yet no untoward incident occurred there. “It was beyond our expectation that so many people would turn up at the stadium," Siddaramaiah noted.

Siddaramaiah Blames KCA

The CM blamed the Karnataka Cricket Association (KCA) was behind organising the event.

“We did not organise the event, the cricket association did. Our duty was to provide security. The crowd turnout should have been equal to the number of passes given. What can we do if more people come? Let’s see what the investigation finds, whether (lapses by) association or police," he said.

Siddaramaiah said such stampede incidents have happened in other places as well.

“I am not going to defend it by comparing them and saying that it happened here and there… 50-60 people died in Kumbh Mela. I did not criticise. If Congress criticises, then that is a different matter. Did I or the Karnataka government criticise?," he asked.

Bengaluru Stampede

At least 11 persons died and 33 others were injured after chaos broke out near the Chinnaswamy Stadium, after a large number of people gathered to participate in the RCB victory celebrations.

According to eye-witnesses, fans thronged the venue of felicitation and visuals showed police shifting the injured persons and those who fell unconscious in ambulances to nearby hospitals. Visuals also showed some of those who were in an unconscious state being administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by those nearby.

Police had a tough time in crowd management as a large number of cricket enthusiasts tried to gain entry, at the same time, into the stadium. According to a traffic advisory from the Bengaluru police, entry to Chinnaswamy Stadium was limited to only those with valid tickets and passes."As there is limited parking facility available near the Chinnaswamy Stadium, those who are attending the event are advised to use public transport and Metro. The public is requested to cooperate," it had said.

Saurabh Verma

Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19

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