Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed grief over the loss of lives in a stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium as thousands of RCB fans gathered to catch a glimpse of the team after their first-ever IPL win, saying 'mishap in Bengaluru is absolutely heartrending'.
Absolutely heartrending
"The mishap in Bengaluru is absolutely heartrending. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that those who are injured have a speedy recovery," the PMO said in an X post, quoting PM Modi.
Eleven dead, several injured during RCB's IPL victory parade
At least eleven people died and more than 50 were injured in a stampede at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy stadium during the RCB victory parade on Wednesday. Some of the cricket enthusiasts reportedly fell unconscious near the Chinnaswamy Stadium when they gathered to attend a special felicitation for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's maiden IPL title win.
According to eyewitnesses, a stampede-like situation broke out as fans thronged the venue for the felicitation event. Footage showed police rushing to assist the injured and those who had fainted, transporting them to nearby hospitals via ambulances.
Some unconscious individuals were seen receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from bystanders. Police had a tough time in crowd management as a large number of cricket enthusiasts tried to gain entry, at the same time, into the stadium. To regain control, police resorted to mild force, eventually stabilizing the situation ahead of the special felicitation ceremony for the RCB team, organized by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).
Karnataka BJP demands judicial probe
Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra on Wednesday demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter. Vijayendra accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of pressuring the police and organising celebrations without any preparedness and adequate police deployment.
"First of all, the state government, without any preparedness, should not have organised this today. If you would had seen the world cup match when India won, there was a big celebration in Mumbai also with lot of preparations. When lakhs and lakhs of people celebrated last night in Bengaluru, the state government should have thought before organising a function today itself," he told reporters.
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