Tragedy at RCB Victory Parade: 3 Lakh Fans Overwhelm 35K-Capacity Chinnaswamy Stadium

RCB's Victory Parade Turns Tragic: Stampede Claims 11 Lives, Dozens Injured Outside Chinnaswamy Stadium .

What was meant to be a grand celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) historic IPL victory ended in a heartbreaking tragedy on Wednesday. A massive crowd gathered outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium for the team’s victory parade, but the event spiraled out of control, resulting in a deadly stampede that claimed at least 11 lives and left 75 others injured.

The stadium, which can accommodate around 35,000 spectators, was surrounded by an overwhelming crowd estimated at nearly three lakh—over ten times its capacity. Fans had begun assembling hours in advance, hoping to catch a glimpse of their cricketing heroes after RCB’s maiden IPL title win. But as the crowd swelled uncontrollably, the situation turned chaotic.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed the media, stating that neither the state government nor the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) had anticipated such a massive turnout. "The size of the crowd near the stadium was totally unexpected. Neither the government nor KSCA officials had an inkling. While the stadium has a capacity of 35,000 seats, KSCA officials expected a slightly more turnout than usual. But, two to three lakh people had gathered there,” he said at a press conference.

He clarified that the incident occurred near the stadium and not at Vidhana Soudha, where a separate event was held to felicitate the team. "The stampede happened due to the sudden and unanticipated congregation near the stadium, not at Vidhana Soudha," he noted.

The Chief Minister also attributed part of the confusion to the late-night conclusion of the IPL final. “Since the final ended past midnight, the KSCA didn’t expect such a huge crowd the next day. The government also hosted a celebratory event,” he added.

In response to the tragedy, the state government announced ₹10 lakh in compensation for the families of the deceased and assured free medical treatment for the injured. Additionally, the KSCA has pledged ₹5 lakh to each bereaved family.

However, concerns are now being raised about the lack of preparation and planning. According to senior police officials, warnings were issued in advance about the risks of holding a parade on such short notice. With limited time for security arrangements and crowd control, the event was vulnerable to exactly the kind of disaster that unfolded.