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Bengaluru techie killed in stampede trying to see RCB stars: 'Her laptop’s still on the table…'
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, while addressing the tragedy, said that many who died in the stampede at the event for RCB were young people.
An event organised to celebrate the maiden IPL win of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) turned into a tragedy after 11 people were killed in a stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Wednesday evening. According to a report by the Times of India (TOI), a tech firm employee and a die-hard fan of RCB, Devi, was among those who lost their lives.
The outlet reported that she had taken off from work to attend the event. “She pestered her boss for permission to go and finally got approval around 2.30 pm. She was so excited, and then this happened,” her friend told TOI.
Struggling to hold back tears, the friend added, “Her laptop is still on the table and her bags are there, but she is not."
“Huge Virat Kohli fan”
Devi, originally from Tamil Nadu, came to Bengaluru to study and stayed on after landing a job at a tech firm. Being an RCB fan, she wanted to get a glimpse of the team.
"She was a huge Virat Kohli fan," her friend said, adding, "When she heard RCB was distributing tickets to enter the Chinnaswamy Stadium and watch the celebrations, she was determined to go."
According to the outlet, she initially tried to get a free pass to the event organised for RCB’s win but failed. However, she decided to go to the stadium. While doing so, she reportedly messaged her friend and texted, “I'm taking the metro!” Her friend recalled that was the last time they heard from her.
"We got a call from the hospital. They used the emergency contact number listed in records. We rushed there immediately," her friend told TOI.
The individual added, "Her parents are being contacted, we don't know how to break this to them."
“Too much crowd”
A police officer, who requested anonymity, said, “The crowd was beyond our control. Even though we had deployed force, it was too much. We had to resort to lathi charge at some points. The problem was the stadium gates were narrow, and the pressure of the crowd caused the tragedy.”
