DK Shivakumar Breaks Down While Addressing Media Over Bengaluru Stampede That Killed 11
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar broke down in tears on Thursday while addressing the media for the first time since the tragic stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations that claimed 11 lives. Visibly emotional, Shivakumar struggled to hold back his emotions while speaking about the incident, calling it a heartbreaking moment for the state.
The deputy chief minister’s emotional response came a day after he offered a public apology for the tragedy that occurred near M Chinnaswamy Stadium when over three lakh fans gathered to celebrate RCB’s historic IPL victory. The Karnataka government has announced ₹10 lakh compensation for families of the deceased and free treatment for the injured.
Speaking to the media with visible distress, Shivakumar described the incident as unprecedented and heartbreaking. His emotional breakdown highlighted the gravity of the situation and the personal impact the tragedy has had on state leadership.
The deputy chief minister’s reaction underscores the political and emotional weight of the incident, which has cast a shadow over what should have been a celebratory moment for Karnataka and RCB fans.
A day earlier, Shivakumar had offered an apology while speaking to news agency ANI. “This should not have happened and we never expected such a big crowd,” he stated. “The stadium’s capacity is 35,000, but more than 3 lakh people were there…Gates (of the stadium) have been broken.”
“We apologise for this incident…We want to know the facts and give a clear message,” the deputy chief minister had said, acknowledging the massive crowd management failure that led to the tragedy.
Despite his emotional state, Shivakumar accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of politicizing the incident. “The BJP is doing politics…We are very sorry for the incident. We will work out a better solution in the future,” he stated.
The accusation suggests that the tragedy has become a point of political contention, with opposition parties potentially using the incident to criticize the Congress-led state government’s handling of the event.
The Karnataka government announced a comprehensive response package for the victims and their families. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed a press conference confirming ₹10 lakh compensation for families of the deceased.
The government also committed to providing free medical treatment to all those injured in the stampede, demonstrating the administration’s attempt to address the immediate humanitarian crisis.
The stampede occurred near the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium when thousands of fans gathered to glimpse their favorite RCB players ahead of the team’s IPL victory celebrations. The franchise was celebrating their first IPL title in 18 years.
The massive crowd, estimated at over three lakh people, far exceeded the stadium’s capacity of 35,000, creating a dangerous situation that organizers appeared unprepared to handle. Stadium gates were reportedly broken under the pressure of the crowd.
Eleven people lost their lives in the stampede, with dozens more injured. The casualties were primarily young cricket enthusiasts who had come to celebrate their team’s historic achievement.
The incident has been described as one of the worst crowd-related tragedies in recent Karnataka history, highlighting serious lapses in crowd management and safety protocols.
The deputy chief minister’s earlier statement revealed that authorities had not anticipated such a massive turnout for the celebration. The crowd size was nearly nine times the stadium’s capacity, indicating a fundamental miscalculation in event planning.
The breaking of stadium gates under crowd pressure suggests that the infrastructure was inadequate for the scale of the gathering, raising questions about safety assessments and crowd management protocols.
