Stampede In Bengaluru

Syllabus: GS3/ Disaster Management

In Context

• A tragic stampede outside Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium resulted in the loss of several lives and significant damage to property.

About Stampede

• A stampede is a sudden, uncontrolled rush of people, typically caused by panic, excitement, or fear, leading to trampling and crushing injuries or deaths.
• It’s often a crowd crush rather than people intentionally pushing or stampeding — people simply get trapped with no space to move or breathe.
• Recently, India has witnessed a series of tragic stampedes, resulting in significant loss of life. For example: Hathras (Uttar Pradesh), 2024, New Delhi Railway Station & Mahakumbh stampede (2025) etc. 

Causes of Stampedes in India

• Rumors and Panic: Sudden noise or false information (like bomb threat or structural collapse).
• Religious Gatherings: Overcrowding at religious events without proper planning.
  • Example: Sabarimala (Kerala), 2011 – 106 killed during Makar Jyothi due to poor crowd dispersal planning.
• Poor Infrastructure and Planning: Narrow lanes, blocked exits, lack of signage.
• VIP Movement and Mismanagement: Prioritizing VIPs disrupts natural crowd flow.
• Overcrowding/Insufficient Space: When crowd density exceeds the venue’s capacity, it increases the risk of crushing.

Impacts of Stampedes

• Human Loss and Trauma: High death tolls, injuries, lifelong disability.
• Economic and Social Costs : Severe economic distress for families, medical expenses and further compound the burden. Article 21 of the Constitution is violated when preventable deaths occur.
• Damage to Infrastructure & Property: Uncontrolled crowd movement can lead to the collapse of barriers, temporary structures, and damage to permanent infrastructure.
• Erosion of Public Trust: Repeated incidents lead to a loss of faith in event organizers, authorities, and governance.
• Social & Religious Disruptions: Fear of stampedes can reduce participation in religious gatherings and festivals, affecting social cohesion and cultural traditions.

Recommendations of NDMA in Crowd Management

• Pre-Event Planning:
  • Risk Assessment: Identify potential triggers, calculate safe holding capacity.
  • Infrastructure Audit: Ensure adequate width of pathways, multiple exits, signage, and barricading.
  • Clear SOPs for Organizers: Assign roles to police, fire, health, and civic authorities.
  • Capacity Regulations: Entry by ticket/pass even for free events to monitor crowd volume.
• Use of Technology:
  • CCTV Surveillance & Drones: Real-time monitoring of crowd behavior.
  • GIS Mapping and Simulations: Plan for alternate routes and emergency exits.
  • Early Warning Systems and PA Systems: Real-time communication in case of panic or disruption.
  • Personnel Training and Deployment: Volunteers and police trained to handle surge and panic.
• Emergency Preparedness:
  • Medical Camps & Ambulance Access: Field hospitals, triage zones for immediate aid.
  • Multi-Agency Coordination: Coordination between health, police, NDRF, fire services, etc.

Source: TH