7 dead, many injured in stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium amid RCB victory celebrations in Bengaluru

The injured are being treated at the Bowring Hospital and Vydehi Superspeciality Hospital on Vittal Mallya Road.

Bengaluru: The celebratory mood in Bengaluru was quickly replaced with despair as a pall of gloom cast over the city with at least seven people confirmed killed in a stampede that occurred outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday evening.

Around 4.45 pm, a stampede-like situation broke out outside some of the gates of the stadium, which left an unverified number of people injured. Over 20 people have reportedly been hospitalised – at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in Shivajinagar and Vydehi Super Speciality Hospital on Vittal Mallya Road – and at least seven people are feared dead in the stampede, it has been learnt.

Bowring Hospital sources confimed three patients were dead out of a total of 17 people who were rushed there, while nine people were brought to Vydehi Superspeciality Hospital (VSH) on Vittal Mallya Road, out of which four were confirmed dead by hospital sources.

VSH saw 16 patients being brought in, including four people who were brought dead — three men and one woman --- said Dr Humera, medical administrator. They must have been between 20 to 30 years old. Two people have been identified, including a male first-year engineering student, while two more have not been identified. The cause of death is likely suffocation, she said.

Other 12 patients are stable and being treated in the OPD for minor injuries such as leg pain, toe injuries, one small injury to the head, Dr Humera added.

Relatives’ desperate cries at the hospitals was a heart-wrenching scene. Divyamshi, a 14-year-old girl, who had come with her mother, aunt and other relatives, was among those killed.

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Two ambulances that were carrying patients towards the hospitals found themselves stuck with nowhere to go because of the crowd. Barricades were broken down and hundreds of pairs of footwear were left behind outside the entry gates.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and Bengaluru City police commissioner B Dayananda visited the Bowring Hospital.

Before this, the heart of the city was awash with red as supporters of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) gathered in large numbers on Wednesday afternoon to witness the team members who recently lifted the IPL cup.

CM Siddaramaiah, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and other officials met with top police officers, to discuss necessary arrangements. In many places, loud cheers in the name of RCB, Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar, the team captain, reverberated through the city throughout Tuesday night and well into Wednesday. On Tuesday night, people were seen dancing on the streets, bursting firecrackers, garlanding players’ cut-outs and celebrating with loud cheers. At KR Market on Wednesday afternoon, where pro-Kannada organisation representatives celebrated by cutting a cake, pouring milk over Virat Kohli’s cut-outs, and distributing sweets.

The team landed at the HAL Airport on Wednesday afternoon and headed to the Vidhana Soudha in their team bus to meet the Chief Minister. A stage programme and felicitation at the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha was arranged, where a large crowd gathered in the afternoon. Players will be at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium between 5 pm and 6 pm for a public celebration.

Despite government officials’ and ministers’ requests to avoid crowding at the HAL airport and Vidhana Soudha, hundreds of RCB fans gathered outside the airport. Some people could be seen perched on trees to get a good look at their idols. The team bus could be seen exiting the airport around 2.45 pm. Loud cheers kept ringing in the background as the bus zoomed past the crowds and headed towards the Vidhana Soudha.

Outside of the Vidhana Soudha, a sea of thousands of fans roared chants of ‘RCB, RCB’, donning RCB jerseys and waving their flags up high. Similarly, the roads leading to the stadium were also overflowing with fans across ages. Roads were filled with fans, which choked movement.