Last-minute confusions, limited seats at Chinnaswamy Stadium and an increasing crowd outside the premises led to the tragic stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's victory celebrations, according to Karnataka police. Cops say at least 50,000 were gathered within a kilometre and the crowd kept increasing.
As many as 11 persons died and over 30 suffered injuries in the tragic stampede that broke outside Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condoled the deaths and no one expected such a huge crowd for the event.
Siddaramaiah said while the stadium only had a capacity of 35,000 seats, over 2-3 lakh people had turned up for the event. "...no one had expected that so many people would come. The expectation was the equivalent number of people for the stadium's capacity or slightly more than that may gather," the chief minister said. Siddaramaiah also visited the injured at the hospital.
The state government has announced a magisterial inquiry and has asked the panel to submit report within 15 days. A solatium of Rs 10 lakh has been announced for families of the deceased by the state government.
According to Karnataka police, the initial chaos turned into a stamped with those who did not have tickets tried to enter the stadium through its narrow gates. During the chaos, some people fell on the ground, some got injured while trying to scale huge gates to gain entry into the stadium, police said.
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Police sources, on condition of anonymity, told PTI that even though they had made it clear that no victory parade would be held and that those with tickets would only be allowed to enter the stadium, fans in large numbers gathered outside the stadium and many among them also jumped the gates to gain entry.
"While those with valid tickets were allowed to enter the stadium for celebrations many tried to squeeze with those who had free passes and tickets. In that bid to get entry, some of them also started pushing each other," a police officer told the publication. Though police used mild force to control the crowd, over 50,000 persons were gathered within a kilometre and it only increased.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party attacked the state government and charged lack of planning led to the tragedy. The opposition sought the resignation of Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.