‘No clear entry plan, lack of police coordination’: Rumours of free tickets near Gate 7 turned it into deathtrap in Chinnaswamy stampede that killed 11 | Bengaluru News
Gate No. 7 — almost 180 degrees in the opposite direction to the main entrance to M Chinnaswamy Stadium — turned into a deathtrap for hundreds of RCB fans after rumours began floating that free tickets would be distributed near that entrance.In minutes, it became an epicentre of panic and disorder as massive crowds gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory. In a mad scramble for tickets, people fell over each other.“People completely lost control,” said Achimanya, a resident of Rajajinagar. “Police asked us to take another route via Cubbon Park, but panic had set in by then. Amid unverified reports of a stampede, injuries and deaths, people ran in all directions — some towards Richmond Circle, others ended up near Anil Kumble Circle. It was a disaster.”
The Bengaluru stadium has 21 stands with 13 gates. While most gates were open to the public, gates 9 and 10 were reserved for KSCA members. Gates 12, 13 and 14 saw the highest concentration of people as they were located along the team bus’ entry route. Most casualties were reported from gate 7.No crowd managementPoor crowd management and dilly-dallying over allowing a victory parade through the city roads added to the unfolding tragedy. Avinash S, 31, from RR Nagar, was among those who narrowly escaped. “There was an ambulance with 40 injured people inside. I was lucky to get out in time. Even police were struggling to manage the crowd,” he said.‘Cops were pushing people’Sinchana N, 25, went to the venue with friends and got caught in the crowd crush. “As soon as the gate opened slightly, everyone pushed ahead. A glass panel broke and people got hurt. I was near Anil Kumble Circle and could avoid the worst only because I arrived late. Police were just pushing people around, and they weren’t controlling the crowd in the real sense.” A spell of rain around 5.30pm made the situation worse.Naveen B, a JP Nagar resident who took leave from work to attend the event, said if the roadshow had not been cancelled, fans could’ve been better dispersed along the victory route. “The planning was terrible. Police and the govt didn’t prepare for such a huge turnout.”As ambulances struggled to negotiate their way through congested roads, police resorted to lathicharge near Cubbon Park Circle around 6.30pm, particularly near Tonique bar, to disperse the crowd and clear the way.
