Stampede at RCB IPL 2025 celebration kills 3, over 20 injured near Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru

Three people died and over 20 were injured in a stampede near Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB's IPL 2025 victory celebration. The incident occurred as crowds surged into the venue. Police and ambulances struggled amid the chaos and congestion.

Bengaluru: What was meant to be a joyous celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) maiden IPL title turned tragic on Wednesday, as a stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed three lives and left over 20 fans injured or severely unwell.

The incident occurred when thousands gathered for the felicitation event organized to honour RCB’s IPL 2025 triumph. According to the police, three individuals were declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. Two others remain in critical condition and are being treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

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The stampede reportedly broke out as crowds surged through multiple entry gates, attempting to enter the stadium in a hurry. Visuals from the scene showed police and emergency personnel struggling to manage the situation, with ambulances finding it difficult to navigate due to heavy congestion on surrounding roads. The injured were shifted to Bowring Hospital.

In a separate incident, a fan attempting to scale a gate and jump into the stadium fell and fractured his leg.

Despite the heavy deployment of police personnel, authorities struggled to control the massive turnout. Some fans were seen climbing trees and sitting on branches just to get a glimpse of the ongoing celebrations. Further details about the casualties and injuries are awaited.

Earlier in the day, the Karnataka government had cancelled the scheduled victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium, citing security concerns. Police officials stated that they had been on crowd control duty since Tuesday night, working continuously to prevent any untoward incidents.

Huge crowds also gathered at the Vidhana Soudha, where the government’s felicitation ceremony took place. Police had to resort to a mild lathi-charge to disperse unruly sections of the crowd.

Earlier in the day, when the RCB team landed at HAL Airport, they were received by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who presented bouquets to the players. He also handed over the RCB and Kannada flags to Virat Kohli, who received them cheerfully and posed for photos. Shivakumar was later seen waving the RCB flag from his car en route to the airport.