Bengaluru stampede: The faces behind the tragedy - teens, students, and young techies

At least 11 people—most of them young fans—were killed and 47 others injured in a deadly stampede outside Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, as celebrations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic IPL win spiraled into chaos.

According to authorities, the stampede occurred when a massive crowd—estimated between 200,000 to 300,000 people—overwhelmed security barriers in an attempt to enter the stadium for a planned victory celebration. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah described the incident as “absolutely tragic,” adding that the stadium had a capacity of only 35,000. An inquiry has been ordered.

The victims, all under 40, had gathered with friends and family to witness their cricket heroes, including Virat Kohli, who finally lifted the IPL trophy after 18 seasons. Among the dead were schoolchildren, college students, and young professionals—many of them local residents, while others had travelled from nearby districts.

The youngest of the victims, Divyanshi, had come with her mother and relatives from Kannuru. She was crushed while waiting near the gates. Her aunt told The News Minute, “There was no one to provide CPR... no police at the stadium. We rushed her to hospital ourselves.”

Bhumik had gone to take photos with friends. Separated in the rush, he collapsed and received no immediate medical help. “There were no ambulances. Even the police didn’t know what to do,” a friend told The New Indian Express. His mother mourned, “I kept telling him not to go. Now he’s gone forever.”

Media reports say Bhumik’s family is inconsolable. His mother mourned, “I warned him not to go, but he wanted to attend and post photos on social media. Now, even if I call his name, he won’t come back.”

Sahana had taken the day off work to attend the celebration. She was separated from her colleagues during the chaos and was later confirmed dead at Vydehi Hospital. Her friends said confusion grew when people were told to download an app to access passes moments before the gates opened.

Manoj, a student at Presidency College in north Bengaluru, had gone to the Chinnaswamy Stadium with friends to celebrate Royal Challengers Bangalore’s historic IPL win. But the celebration turned tragic when the crowd surged forward near Gate 20.

“About 500 people trampled over him,” Md Hussain, an MBA student who witnessed the chaos, told The Indian Express. “It took us hours to pull his body from the crowd.”

According to Hussain, Manoj’s leg got stuck in a police barricade, leaving him helpless as the crowd pushed through.

His father, a pani-puri vendor, was devastated. “I didn’t even let him clean plates at my stall because I wanted him to study,” he said through tears, speaking to The Indian Express. “I raised him with so much care… and now he’s gone. He died wearing his RCB shirt.”

Devi, who worked in Bengaluru, had come to the stadium alone. Her friends found out about her death when someone answered her phone from the hospital. “We kept calling… finally someone picked up and told us she was no more,” her colleague said.

A grieving mother at a city morgue told The Indian Express that her daughter was wearing an RCB shirt when she died. “She was crazy about RCB. They danced when they won, and now she is gone. Can RCB give her back to me?”

Friends and family of Poorna Chandra, a 25-year-old from K R Pet in Karnataka’s Mandya district, were devastated to learn he was among the stampede victims. Media reports revealed that he had met his would-be bride just days before the tragedy.

Relatives identified him in viral social media videos showing bystanders desperately trying to revive him. He was later confirmed dead at Vydehi Hospital.

While several victims were from Bengaluru, others had come from nearby districts to take part in the celebrations.

The New Indian Express reports that a group of friends from Mangaluru, all software engineers working in Bengaluru, had taken leave to attend the victory celebrations. During the stampede, they lost contact with one friend and only located him hours later. One friend received a call from a mutual acquaintance who had been contacted by the injured man’s parents—who saw their son lying on the ground, being trampled, on live TV.

The friends rushed to Cubbon Park Police Station but were redirected to Vydehi Hospital, where they found him undergoing an MRI scan. His condition is now stable.

“There was no communication, no medical help or ambulances. We didn’t even know if he was alive,” one friend said.

Although authorities cancelled the open-top bus parade anticipating a large crowd, the stadium event still went ahead as planned. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal revealed that officials inside the stadium were unaware of the stampede occurring outside.

Eyewitnesses said the chaos began after a last-minute announcement requiring passes to enter, just minutes before the gates opened. Many struggled with poor mobile networks and app access, triggering panic.

The situation worsened due to inadequate police presence and a lack of immediate medical assistance.

Despite the tragedy, organisers carried on with the victory celebrations. The team shared a video of cheering fans and players waving, describing it as “pure love” — a post they later deleted.

Virat Kohli expressed deep sorrow after celebrations of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s IPL win turned tragic, with 11 mostly young fans crushed to death in Bengaluru.

“Absolutely gutted,” Kohli wrote on social media, alongside an RCB statement expressing the team’s anguish.

Bengaluru erupted in celebrations after RCB, scoring 190-9, beat Punjab 184-7 to claim their first IPL title in 18 years. The IPL final was held in Ahmedabad, packed with 91,000 fans and watched by millions.

Tragic crowd incidents are frequent in India due to poor management. Earlier this year, 30 died in a stampede at the Kumbh Mela festival, and last July, 121 were killed in Uttar Pradesh during a religious gathering.

With inputs from Agencies