IPL trophy parade turns into tragedy with 11 people killed in stampede
Eleven people have been killed and dozens injured in a crush outside the cricket stadium where a parade was being held for Josh Hazlewood’s victorious Royal Challengers Bengaluru team.
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Australian star Josh Hazlewood was due to arrive in London to join Australian teammates having left India before the tragic scenes in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Eleven people have been killed and dozens injured in a crush outside the cricket stadium where a parade was being held for Hazlewood’s victorious Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL team.
The players were transported for receptions around Bengaluru, including the stadium, but Hazlewood was not part of the parade having already flown to England that morning to join Australia’s preparations ahead of the World Test Championship Final against South Africa.
It’s understood Bengaluru authorities did not anticipate the more than 200,000 people who turned out for the event which has turned into a national tragedy.
“(The gates of the stadium) were not even opened, but there were so many people trying to push through a small gate that the stampede took place,” one official told the BBC.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the “mishap in Bengaluru is heart-rending”.
The RCB team which won the IPL drove to the stadium before the crush occurred.
Indian legend Virat Kohli addressed the crowd at the stadium during a brief reception which still went ahead after the stampede.
The mass of people attending the event was double what organisers and local police had anticipated, showcasing the fanaticism for cricket in India.
Police shut down train stations in the aftermath of the incident amid fears of further crushes.
Hazlewood and fellow Australian star Josh Inglis, who was in the Punjab team defeated by RCB, were due to arrive in London after being delayed in their arrival due to the dates of the IPL final being postponed by the recent tensions between India and Pakistan.
Originally published as IPL trophy parade turns into tragedy with 11 people killed in stampede
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