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Karnataka state’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who only uses one
name, said the crowd tried to break one of the stadium’s gates
and enter to take part in celebrations.
Eleven people were killed and 33 others were injured,
Siddaramaiah said, adding that most of the injured were stable
and receiving treatment in hospitals.
“At a time of celebration, this unfortunate event should not
have happened. We are saddened by this,” he told reporters.
"No one expected this crowd,” he said.
Cricket fans had come out to celebrate Royal Challengers
Bengaluru’s first Indian Premier League title win on Tuesday.
The team had given away free passes to fans for the event
through its website, and urged them to follow guidelines set by
police and authorities.
The team in a statement said it was “deeply anguished.”
Local TV news channels showed some people stretched out on the
ground and emergency personnel carrying people into ambulances,
while celebrations inside the stadium continued.
D.K. Shivakumar, the deputy chief minister of Karnataka state,
told reporters that “the crowd was very uncontrollable."
The Board of Control for Cricket in India, which organizes the
IPL, in a statement called the incident “unfortunate.”
“This is a negative side of popularity. People are crazy for
their cricketers. The organizers should have planned it better,”
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident
“heartrending” and said his “thoughts are with all those who
have lost their loved ones.”
Stampedes are relatively common in India when large crowds
gather. In January, at least 30 people were killed as tens of
thousands of Hindus rushed to bathe in a sacred river during the
Maha Kumbh festival, the world’s largest religious gathering.
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