Celebrations turned into tragedy as 11 fans were killed and 47 left injured during a stampede at the Chinnaswamy Stadium after lakhs of fans of Royal Challengers Bengaluru converged to catch a glimpse of their team after their big win in the 18th edition of the speedy format of the game on Wednesday.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress top leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday condoled the Bengaluru stampede deaths and the BJP asked the Congress government to own up responsibility for what it called the “state-sponsored negligence.”
President Droupadi Murmu said: “The loss of lives in the tragic happening at a stadium in Bengaluru is shocking and heartbreaking. My condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the stampede in Bengaluru during the victory celebrations of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s IPL triumph as “absolutely heartrending”.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed sadness over the tragic stampede in Bengaluru during the celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) victory in the IPL and urged the state government to strengthen safety protocols to avoid such incidents in the future.
On the stampede incident, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, “A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured.”
Further a statement of RCB mentioned “We are deeply anguished by the unfortunate incidents that have come to light through media reports regarding public gatherings all over Bengaluru in anticipation of the team’s arrival this afternoon. The safety and well-being of everyone is of utmost importance to us. RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extend our heartfelt condolences to the affected families. Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our program, and followed, the guidance and advice of the local administration. We urge all our supporters to please stay safe”, reads a statement from RCB.
