"Safety of everyone is of utmost importance to us": RCB mourns loss of lives in Bengaluru stampede

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 4 (ANI): Following the death of 11 people in a stampede on Wednesday near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise expressed "heartfelt condolences" to the families of the deceased.

The incident occurred on Wednesday during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL winning celebrations near the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium when thousands of fans gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite player.

"We are deeply anguished by the unfortunate incidents that have come to light through media reports regarding public gatherings all over Bengaluru in anticipation of the team's arrival this afternoon. The safety and well-being of everyone is of utmost importance to us. RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extends our heartfelt condolences to the affected families," RCB said in a statement.

"Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our program and followed the guidance and advice of the local administration. We urge all our supporters to please stay safe," the statement added.

Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that 11 people died in the incident while 33 others were injured.

CM Siddaramaiah said that the government will also provide free treatment to the injured.

"A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured," the CM said.

Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, CM Siddaramaiah said, "11 died and 33 were injured in the stampede. This tragedy should not have happened. The government expresses deep sorrow over this incident."

RCB finally ended an 18-year wait for the coveted IPL trophy, defeating Punjab Kings by six wickets in the finals of IPL 2025, held on Tuesday at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Coming to the match, PBKS won the toss and elected to bowl first. Arshdeep Singh (3/40) and Kyle Jamieson (3/48) applied timely breaks with the ball, while Yuzi Chahal (1/37) also prevented batters from attacking. While Virat Kohli (43 in 35 balls, with three fours) tried to keep the innings together, skipper Rajat Patidar (26 in 16 balls, with a four and two sixes), Jitesh Sharma (24 in 10 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Liam Livingstone (25 in 15 balls, with two fours) upped the attack enough to help RCB post 190/9 in 20 overs.

In the run-chase, PBKS started well with Priyansh Arya (24 in 19 balls, with four boundaries) and Prabhsimran (26 in 22 balls, with two sixes) stitching a 43-run stand. Josh Inglis (39 in 23 balls, with a four and four sixes) and Shashank Singh (61* in 30 balls, three wins and six sixes) tried their level best to keep up with the rising run rate, but Krunal Panddya (2/17), Yash Dayal (1/18) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/38) put a fine show with the ball to restrict PBKS to 184/7, despite a sensational 22 runs smashed by Shashank in the final over while needing 29.

RCB's win marks the end of a long wait, while PBKS, in their second-ever final and first in 11 years--will have to continue their search for a maiden title. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)