Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah confirms 11 dead, 33 injured in Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah confirmed that an unexpectedly massive crowd caused a deadly stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB's IPL celebrations. Eleven people died. A Rs. 10 lakh compensation was announced, and a 15-day magisterial inquiry has been ordered.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the crowd that gathered outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory celebrations was far beyond expectations, leading to a tragic stampede that claimed 11 lives.

“More than 2 to 3 lakh people had gathered near the stadium. No one expected such a huge crowd,” Siddaramaiah said, expressing his grief over the incident. He noted that most of the deceased were youngsters.

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The Chief Minister announced a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh each to the families of the deceased. He also assured that all those injured in the incident are now out of danger.

Siddaramaiah has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the stampede and said a 15-day timeframe has been given to submit the findings. He acknowledged the lapse, stating, “I don’t want to defend the tragedy that has happened.”

Providing further details, he pointed out that a small gate at the stadium became a choke point when the massive crowd surged forward. “A large number of people gathered at the spot and broke the gate, which led to the stampede,” he said.

The Chief Minister also hit out at the opposition, alleging that the BJP was attempting to politicize the tragedy. “The BJP is doing politics over the incident. I don’t want to do politics,” he said.