At least 11 people have died, and many others sustained varying degrees of injuries, following a stampede that occurred as massive crowds attempted to enter a cricket stadium in Karnataka, a southern state in India.
The tragic incident occurred outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where tens of thousands of enthusiastic cricket fans had gathered to celebrate the winners of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world’s most popular T20 cricket tournament.
According to Karnataka state’s Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, the chaos began when members of the crowd tried to force open one of the stadium’s gates in a bid to join the celebrations, ultimately leading to the deadly stampede.
Siddaramaiah confirmed that 11 people were killed and 33 others sustained injuries. He added that most of the injured victims are in stable condition and are currently receiving treatment in local hospitals.
Expressing his sorrow, the Chief Minister said, “At a time of celebration, this unfortunate event should not have happened. We are saddened by this—no one expected this crowd.”
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar also addressed reporters, stating that “the crowd was very uncontrollable,” highlighting the lack of crowd management during the event.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which organizes the IPL, released a statement calling the incident “unfortunate.” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia remarked, “This is a negative side of popularity. People are crazy for their cricketers. The organizers should have planned it better.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reacted to the tragedy, describing the incident as “heartrending,” whiule expressing his condolences.
“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones,” he said through a statement issued on his social media handle.
Stampedes of this nature are, unfortunately, not uncommon in India during large gatherings. Earlier in January, at least 30 people were killed when tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims rushed to bathe in a sacred river during the Maha Kumbh festival, considered the world’s largest religious congregation.
