Bengaluru, June 4: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday announced a magisterial inquiry into the stampede outside Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium that left 11 people dead and 33 others injured during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations.
“The crowd size was beyond our expectations. Over three lakh people gathered near the stadium, and no one anticipated such a turnout,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that most of the deceased were youth.
The Chief Minister confirmed that all the injured were now out of danger and announced ₹10 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased.
According to the CM, the stampede began after a large group of people forced their way through a small stadium gate. “There was a huge crowd near a narrow gate. When they pushed it open, the gate collapsed, leading to the stampede,” he said. “This incident should never have happened. The government expresses deep grief.”
Siddaramaiah clarified that while the state government was responsible for overall security, event management, including crowd control, was the duty of the cricket association.
Hitting out at the BJP, Siddaramaiah accused the opposition of politicising the tragedy. “I don’t want to do politics over such a painful incident. I’m not here to defend what went wrong,” he said. “We’ve given 15 days for the magisterial inquiry to submit its findings.”
The stampede has raised serious concerns about event planning and safety measures at large public gatherings, especially those involving spontaneous celebrations.
Officials said efforts are underway to identify the deceased and ensure that compensation and medical support are extended swiftly.
