A joyous celebration turned tragic in Bengaluru on June 4, as a stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The stampede turned deadly, claiming the lives of at least ten people, and leaving several others injured. The incident occurred during a public event organised to facilitate Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

This comes after their historic win in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). This marks the franchise’s first IPL win in 18 years.

Stampede Triggered by Slab Collapse

According to preliminary reports, the stampede was triggered when a temporary slab placed over a drain near the stadium collapsed. This happened due to the pressure of an overwhelming crowd filling the stadium.

The sudden collapse of the slab caused panic among the people. This led to a chaotic stampede near Gate No.3 of the stadium. The stampede happened just as fans eagerly gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite players arriving for the open-bus victory parade.

10 Deaths reported Initially, Toll Likely to Rise

Authorities initially confirmed the deaths of seven people, including two men and a woman. However, sources now indicate the death toll has reached ten. Meanwhile, dozens are injured and receiving treatment at Bowring Hospital and Vaidehi Hospital. Several injured individuals are reported to be in critical condition.

According to reports, despite a deployment of 5,000 police personnel, the crowd grew uncontrollable. Visuals from the scene showed chaos with police using mild force to contain the surging fans. Traffic in central Bengaluru ground to a halt as thousands made their way to the stadium on foot, by road, and via Namma Metro. Metro services at Cubbon Park and Vidhana Soudha stations were later suspended as a precautionary measure.

Ceremony Cut Short Amidst Chaos

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar confirmed the event was abruptly shortened. “We finished the event in 10–15 minutes because of the stampede and death, “I can’t confirm the numbers yet. I’m going to the stadium now. Lots of emotional fans… we had deployed 5,000 personnel, ” he told reporters. Shivakumar, who was at the felicitation event held at Vidhana Soudha along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, said he was heading to the stadium to take stock of the situation.

BJP Slams Congress Government

The tragedy quickly turned into a political flashpoint, with the opposition BJP accusing the Congress-led Karnataka government of administrative negligence. “7 dead. Many are battling for life after a stampede due to the irresponsibility of Congress govt. No crowd control measures. No basic arrangements. Just chaos,” read a post on BJP Karnataka’s official X handle.

7 dead. Many are battling for life after a stampede due to the irresponsibility of Congress govt.

No crowd control measures. No basic arrangements. Just chaos.

While innocent people died, @siddaramaiah & @DKShivakumar were busy shooting reels & hogging limelight with… pic.twitter.com/IVPuQjXxcq

— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) June 4, 2025

Karnataka BJP Chief, BY Vijayendra, questioned the government’s preparedness, asking, “Did Siddaramaiah review the crowd safety plan? Did DK Shivakumar ensure medical and police arrangements?“Why did Bengaluru fail?” and alleged that “Congress cares more about publicity than public safety.”

BJP leaders, including Amit Malviya and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, slammed the government for failing to implement basic crowd control measures. “Tragic stampede in Bengaluru. A celebration has turned into a nightmare,” Malviya said in a post on X.

“The state government in Karnataka has clearly failed in its responsibility. Celebrations is one thing, but the State government without proper planning, without taking emergency services into confidence, took this urgent and unfortunate decision,” wrote Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on X.