Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic IPL victory on Tuesday night turned sour the following day as the team returned to Karnataka to celebrate their win at home. What ensued in the later hours of Wednesday was an uncontrollable crowd that led to a stampede, which escalated and claimed eleven lives.
The Karnataka government announced on Wednesday afternoon that an open-bus parade would not be permitted due to limited time to make arrangements and the need to prevent a drastic outcome. Nonetheless, fans stormed and surrounded the team bus en route to M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, leading to havoc in Bengaluru.
The incident ignited an internet war, with some pointing fingers at RCB and others at, the government. Celebrities also reacted to the incident, mourning the loss of the departed. Anushka Sharma, actress and wife of RCB batsman Virat Kohli, was in the bus transporting the victors to the stadium. Prior to the incident, she shared clips on social media of fans trying to catch a glimpse of their favourite team. Later, after news broke out of the tragedy, the actress reposted Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s official statement, expressing sorrow over the “tragic loss of lives”.
Kamal Haasan, who is currently in a personal battle with Karnataka over a remark he made about the Kannada language, also paid his respects. Calling it a “heart-wrenching tragedy”, the actor wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Actor Vivek Oberoi called the incident tragic, considering that it “should have been a moment of collective joy in cricket.”
Netflix’s Test actor R. Madhavan took to his Instagram story and shared RCB’s official statement while urging fans to be responsible and to only rely on verified information.