What was meant to be a moment of celebration of RCB at Chinnaswamy Stadium became a scene of panic and tragedy, particularly near Gate No. 7. Rumours that free entry tickets were being handed out at that gate sparked chaos, drawing massive crowds into a frenzied scramble.
Within minutes, Gate 7 turned into a deadly bottleneck, with fans falling over each other in a desperate attempt to secure tickets. The situation worsened as sudden rain began around 5:30 PM, adding to the confusion and slippery conditions. “People completely lost control. It was a disaster,” recalled Achimanya, a witness from Rajajinagar.
The stadium, which has 21 stands and 13 gates, saw the highest crowd pressure near Gates 5, 6, 7, 19, and 20—all along the team’s main route. Gates 9 and 10 were restricted for cricket association members. Gate 7 witnessed the maximum casualties.
Poor coordination and uncertainty over the parade route contributed to the tragedy. Avinash S, 31, from RR Nagar, said, “There was an ambulance carrying about 40 injured people. I was lucky to escape. Even the police seemed overwhelmed.”
Sinchana N, 25, said she narrowly avoided the crush. “There was no real crowd control—just random pushing,” she noted.
With ambulances trapped in the crowd, police had to resort to lathicharge near Cubbon Park Circle around 6:30 PM in a bid to restore order. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done.
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