RCB fan mania spills over as people climb Chinnaswamy stadium for entry; WATCH

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s grand homecoming on Wednesday was overshadowed by a heartbreaking tragedy, as a massive stampede erupted amid the euphoric celebrations. What began as a joyous occasion quickly descended into chaos when an uncontrollable crowd surged through the city streets to greet the newly-crowned IPL 2025 champions.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah later confirmed that 11 lives were lost, and many others sustained injuries during the incident, which unfolded near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. 

The disaster unfolded as fans packed the streets in large numbers to greet their beloved team, who had returned victorious after a thrilling win over Punjab Kings in Tuesday night’s IPL final. However, the atmosphere of celebration quickly descended into chaos.

Visuals shared by news agency ANI showed frenzied fans climbing over walls and scaling fences in a frantic attempt to gain entry into the stadium premises. The venue was hosting a grand felicitation ceremony for RCB, who had recently secured their maiden IPL title after 18 seasons, defeating Punjab Kings in a thrilling final in Ahmedabad.

#WATCH | Bengaluru: #RoyalChallengersBengaluru fans climb over the M Chinnaswamy Stadium walls and fences.

A large number of #RoyalChallengersBengaluru fans have turned up to catch a glimpse of their champion team.

A special felicitation ceremony for all RCB players has been… pic.twitter.com/JoxHCd3RfM

— ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2025

Amid the growing unrest, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar addressed the media, offering words of sorrow in the wake of the tragedy. “The tragedy and death have brought deep pain and shock. My condolences to the deceased. My condolences to their family,” he said. “I have spoken to the police commissioner and everyone, I will also go to the hospital later — I do not want to disturb the doctors who are taking care of the patients”, he told reporters.

Television broadcasts showed distressing footage of emergency personnel navigating through the dense crowds. In one instance, responders were seen carrying young children who appeared to have fainted amid the crush of bodies. Another harrowing clip showed an unconscious man lying in an ambulance, gasping for breath, while paramedics attended to him.

The scenes were a stark contrast to the celebratory spirit that had engulfed Bengaluru just hours earlier, with fans flooding the city to greet the champions. Despite the unfolding tragedy, the official celebration event at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium continued. The RCB team’s social media accounts shared upbeat videos of the players, including Virat Kohli, waving to ecstatic fans from the team bus. “This welcome is what pure love looks like,” read a post on X (formerly Twitter).

This article first appeared on Mid Day