NEW DELHI: The long-awaited celebrations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic first IPL title ended in heartbreak on Wednesday after a deadly stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium left at least eight fans dead and over 40 others injured or sick. Two of the injured remain in critical condition in ICU, police confirmed. Authorities have yet to release the identities of the deceased. An investigation into the incident and crowd management lapses is expected.Here are the top developments from the chaotic scenes that followed what was meant to be a joyous occasion:Stampede claims 8 lives, leaves many injuredThousands of fans surged towards multiple gates of Chinnaswamy Stadium to witness the victory celebration of RCB’s IPL 2025 win, causing a stampede. Eight people died after being rushed to Bowring Hospital. Two others are in critical condition.Police overwhelmed despite heavy presenceThough a large police contingent had been deployed, officers struggled to control the overwhelming crowd.Police use mild force to control the situationDespite a heavy police presence, crowd management proved difficult. Karnataka police had to resort to mild cane-charge near the gates and at Vidhana Soudha to control the surging crowds. Several fans climbed gates, trees, and fences for a glimpse of the players.Government had cancelled victory parade over security fearsAnticipating massive crowds, the Karnataka government had earlier cancelled an open bus victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium, citing security concerns, a warning that proved prescient.“We can’t go back or forward”: Fans describe horror at gatesRCB fans trapped near the stadium gates described a nightmarish scene. “Inside, all the seats are full, and they’re not letting us go in. We want to go back, but we aren’t allowed to. The gates are crowded, and if they open them, more people will rush in,” one fan told reporters. “A lot of people have been injured already.”Fan falls while climbing gate, breaks legIn a separate incident, a fan attempting to scale a gate to enter the stadium fell and sustained a leg fracture. Several others were seen climbing trees and hanging from branches to get a glimpse of the players.Deputy CM greets team at airport, flags presented to KohliDeputy chief minister DK Shivakumar personally received the RCB squad at HAL airport earlier in the day. He handed bouquets and flags to the players, including Virat Kohli, who posed with the RCB and Kannada flags.Overnight celebrations had already stretched police forcesPolice had been managing enthusiastic crowds since Tuesday night, after RCB’s win. Forces remained on alert through the night to prevent untoward incidents, yet Wednesday’s stampede highlighted serious crowd control failures.
