E-Paper
Karnataka government may soon mandate medical clearance for large gatherings
The move comes amid reports that the June 4 celebration, which drew thousands of people, had no formal medical infrastructure in place
In the aftermath of the fatal stampede near Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory celebrations, the state health department is preparing to push for mandatory medical clearance for large public gatherings, a senior official familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
“Events anticipating massive footfalls must mandatorily have a minimum number of doctors, trained medical personnel, and ICU-equipped ambulances on standby,” the official said, adding that health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao is expected to propose the new guidelines soon.
The move comes amid reports that the June 4 celebration, which drew thousands of people, had no formal medical infrastructure in place. “The department was neither informed nor consulted about medical arrangements for the event,” said the official. According to the official, several people experienced severe breathing difficulties and were treated on the roadside in the absence of medical teams.
The crowd surge reportedly occurred between 4 pm and 5 pm near gate 17 of the stadium, where thousands had gathered in hopes of gaining entry. According to the witnesses, there was total chaos and mismanagement, with crowd control measures collapsing under pressure. Many were trampled or fell unconscious as panic spread.
“There was absolutely no crowd control. People were just pouring in without even showing passes. The barricades had been trampled, people were climbing onto trees, and the area was littered with abandoned footwear,” said Niranjan Gowda, a software engineer who witnessed the incident.
Gowda recalled how bystanders and police were forced to move the injured without any support. “A police officer moved two people who were struggling to breathe into an auto. No one stopped to help, everyone was fixated on getting inside and recording videos. It was heartless,” he said.
Only two ambulances were deployed at the venue, a fact noted by the Karnataka high court, which has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident. In a public interest litigation hearing, the court observed that timely CPR could have saved lives and questioned the adequacy of emergency preparedness.
With roads clogged and crowds tightly packed, ambulances struggled to reach the injured. Bystanders and police had to use private vehicles and auto-rickshaws to transport victims, many of whom lost critical time waiting for help.
In the wake of the tragedy, the state government has suspended five police officers, including DGP B Dayananda, for the alleged lapses in handling the event. However, the Indian Police Association has written to chief minister Siddaramaiah objecting to the suspensions.
