Have any lessons been learnt, perhaps not
New Delhi, June 5- A deadly stampede on Wednesday outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium left 11 dead and more than 40 injured.
Thousands had gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic IPL win.
Reportedly, it was misinformation about free passes being distributed at a gate located far from the main entrance that started it all.
As the word about free passes spread, crowds surged, the situation started to go out of control and the tragedy unfolded, as per reports.
Crowds, misinformation, rumours can be an ideal mix for a stampede, this any government/ the authorities should be well aware of. But were any efforts made to stop such a situation, perhaps not.
The fact is, it is not about any political party but the continued inability to anticipate, assess and respond to such situations.
Politics is inevitable as was also witnessed at previous such events, whether the unfortunate stampede at Prayagraj Mahakumbh and New Delhi Railway Station earlier this year or the Morbi bridge collapse in October 2022.
In the case of Bengaluru, what further added to the tragedy is that players continued to be celebrated and felicitated inside while chaos prevailed outside, leading to loss of 11 previous fans. Despite a serious tragedy unfolding outside, the felicitation ceremony continued in the stadium, if it is not apathy then what else.
Meanwhile, the big question remains whether any lessons have been learnt to avoid such situations in future and save precious lives, this only time will tell.
