At the least 10 folks have been killed in a crush exterior a cricket stadium within the Indian metropolis of Bengaluru, which was internet hosting a victory parade to have fun the house workforce’s Indian Premier League title win.
1000’s of individuals – younger and previous – lined the streets on Wednesday to welcome the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) who beat the Punjab Kings within the IPL cricket closing the day earlier than.
“About 10 folks have died within the stampede on the gates of the Chinnaswamy stadium,” a senior police official instructed BBC Hindi.
When the tragedy struck, the gates of the stadium “weren’t even opened, however there have been so many individuals attempting to push via a small gate that the stampede befell,” an official stated.
One police official instructed the BBC there have been over 200,000 individuals who got here out for the victory parade however they have been solely anticipating half that quantity.
The RCB workforce had arrived by a particular flight on the previous HAL airport to be obtained by Karnataka Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar. They have been taken in a procession to the lodge.
This was a precursor for the reception on the steps of the majestic Vidhana Soudha, seat of the state legislature, the place Governor Thawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and different ministers met the workforce.
The workforce was then scheduled to drive, once more, in a procession to the stadium earlier than the crush occurred.
Previous to the incident, plenty of individuals from totally different elements of town had moved in the direction of the stadium on all modes of transport carrying RCB jerseys.
Metro trains have been so packed that a number of folks – together with this reporter – weren’t in a position to enter any compartment. All this whereas passengers contained in the prepare and outdoors chanted the workforce’s identify in refrain.
Auto rickshaws and taxis didn’t reply to requests from individuals who wished to be dropped wherever close to the stadium. Those that agreed dropped commuters a number of kilometres away.
After experiences of individuals shedding their lives within the crush unfold, folks began speeding away to metro stations.
Authorities shut down the stations across the stadium as enormous crowds had gathered on the platforms.