Bengaluru stampede: Metro suspends services at two central stations due to massive crowd. Details

BMRCL suspends metro operations at Cubbon Park and Vidhana Soudha due to RCB celebration stampede, which resulted in 10 fatalities and numerous injuries.

In the wake of massive crowds pouring into central Bengaluru for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team’s IPL victory celebration, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has temporarily suspended operations at two key metro stations—Cubbon Park and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Vidhana Soudha—from 4:30 PM on Wednesday until further notice.

Massive crowds were spotted at Bengaluru's Cubbon Park metro station. (X/BengaluruMetroUpdates)

The decision comes after a tragic stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium earlier in the evening that claimed 10 lives and left several others injured. Thousands of RCB fans had gathered near the stadium and Vidhana Soudha to greet the team, which returned to the city after lifting their maiden IPL trophy. What began as a homecoming celebration quickly turned into a nightmare, as overcrowding and lack of crowd control led to chaos at multiple points.

Huge crowds show up at Central Bengaluru

To ensure public safety and manage the surge of footfalls in the city centre, BMRCL has halted metro train stoppages at the two busy stations located closest to the stadium and government buildings. In addition, all token and QR code ticket vending services at these stations have been temporarily shut down. The metro authority urged commuters to cooperate with metro staff, use alternate stations, and plan their journeys accordingly.

"Due to the extremely high footfalls for the RCB felicitation function, trains will not halt at Cubbon Park and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Vidhana Soudha metro stations. We request commuters to make alternate travel arrangements and cooperate with on-ground staff for a smooth and safe travel experience," BMRCL said in an official statement.

Scenes of chaos were also reported inside several metro stations across the Purple Line, including Halasuru, Trinity, and Indiranagar, where metro compartments were packed well beyond capacity. Multiple audio announcements were made urging passengers not to board overcrowded trains and to stay clear of train doors.

The situation has drawn criticism over the lack of preparedness by civic and transport authorities, especially after an open-top bus parade was cancelled earlier in the day citing traffic concerns. Despite the cancellation, fans continued to throng the central areas in the hope of seeing their cricketing heroes.

Emergency services remained on high alert as injured fans were rushed to Bowring Hospital. Police maintained a heavy deployment around the stadium and metro hubs to prevent further crowd surges.