At least 11 people lost their lives and over 30 were injured in a deadly stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, on Wednesday. The tragic incident occurred as massive crowds gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic Indian Premier League (IPL) title win. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed the casualties, noting that most of the injured are currently stable and receiving medical treatment.

The stampede unfolded when a large group of fans attempted to force their way through one of the stadium’s gates. According to Siddaramaiah, the crowd had swelled far beyond expectations, despite the team issuing free passes for the celebration and advising attendees to follow safety guidelines provided by police and local authorities. “At a time of celebration, this unfortunate event should not have happened,” the chief minister remarked with regret.

Inside the stadium, celebrations continued as chaos erupted outside. News footage showed scenes of panic, with people lying on the ground and emergency teams rushing to carry the injured into ambulances. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar described the crowd as “very uncontrollable,” highlighting the failure of crowd management efforts at the event.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which oversees the IPL, expressed sorrow over the incident. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia commented that the tragedy underscores the darker side of overwhelming fan enthusiasm. “This is a negative side of popularity. People are crazy for their cricketers. The organizers should have planned it better,” he said.

Stampedes remain a troubling reality during major events in India. Just earlier this year, at least 30 people were killed during the Maha Kumbh festival, where huge crowds of Hindu pilgrims rushed to bathe in a sacred river. The Bengaluru stampede now joins the list of such devastating incidents, raising renewed concerns over event safety and crowd control in the country.