"Didn't Have A Choice, Let The Crowd Go": Bengaluru Stadium Guard On Stampede

Security guards manning the gates of the Chinnaswamy Stadium during the IPL celebrations in Bengaluru were forced to give way to the crowds that had swelled outside, one of them said, as the chaos turned into a stampede and killed 11 people. 

On Wednesday, a large number of people thronged the stadium to participate in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team's first-ever IPL victory celebrations. Several people who did not have entry tickets tried to swarm the premises along with those who had valid tickets.

As chaos erupted at the site, some people fell on the ground and some got injured while trying to scale huge gates to gain entry into the stadium.

"In the end, we just let the crowd go. We did not have a choice. We were scared," one of the security guards deployed at the site told NDTV. 

Eleven people were killed in the stampede at the stadium.
Photo Credit: AFP

According to the police, around 50,000 people were within a one kilometre radius and the number just kept increasing. 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the state cricket association had organised the programme at the stadium, and the government at the Vidhana Soudha. "No one had expected it, neither the cricket association, nor the government," he said.

As per sources, confusion over the victory parade, free passes, overcrowding and limited seats at the stadium are said to be some of the major reasons that led to the stampede. 

Eyewitnesses and victims said the crowd began gathering around 2 pm outside multiple entrances to the stadium. A high point of excitement was the anticipated passage of the team bus, which triggered a wave of movement among the crowd. Many believed they would receive free passes or be allowed entry without tickets. That assumption, however, turned into panic when word spread that entry would be allowed on a first-come, first-served basis, without clear controls.

Fans stand next to abandonned shoes and a fallen barrier following a stampede during celebrations.

Besides, a large portion of the Bengaluru City Police force was deployed to secure the Vidhana Soudha complex, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot were scheduled to meet the RCB team.

More than one lakh people had reportedly gathered for the celebrations at the Vidhana Soudha. At the stadium, where crowd estimates range from 1.5 lakh to 3 lakh, there was a shortage of manpower. The crowd that converged on the stadium then exceeded three lakh, making it extremely difficult for the police to control them.

Police used mild force to control the large crowd at the stadium and in some of the visuals, they were seen using lathis to disperse fans. Most of the victims were youths, with several of them being students. 

The Chief Minister has announced a magisterial inquiry into the stampede and a Rs 10 lakh compensation to families of the victims.