'It is tragic that those who came, did not return' - Vijay Mallya mourns lives lost in Bengaluru stampede

Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) owner Vijay Mallya expressed deep sorrow over the tragic stampede incident that occurred in the vicinity of the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on June 4, claiming several lives. The incident transpired amidst celebrations after RCB clinched their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title while ending a 17-year-long drought.

Mallya stated that it was heartbreaking to see a joyous occasion turn into a tragedy. He also extended his condolences to the families of the victims and added that he was amazed by the overwhelming crowd that had gathered near the Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate the victory.

“It is very sad that those who came out to celebrate ultimately did not go home. It is heartbreaking that people who came for such a joyous occasion met with tragedy. I have extended my heartfelt condolences to all the affected families. I was amazed watching it on television - the number of people was just unimaginable,” said Mallya as quoted by Cricbuzz.

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Mallya also conceded that he would refrain from commenting extensively on the incident, as he did not have complete knowledge of the circumstances surrounding it. But, he acknowledged that the entire city of Bengaluru was in a celebratory mood after RCB’s historic win, and it was deeply unfortunate that such a tragic incident occurred during what should have been a moment of happiness.

“I'm not going to comment on why this sad incident happened because I don't know enough. It would be unfair for me to make any comment. But the fact that people lost their lives is a very, very sad thing, especially when the whole of Bangalore and all the fans were celebrating. I can't say much more,” Mallya added.

In the Bengaluru stampede on Wednesday, 11 lives were lost and several other people were injured. Prima facie, it appears the incident happened due to inadequate planning and insufficient police presence to manage the massive crowd of lakhs that had gathered, ultimately leading to the tragedy.