Happiest moment turned into something tragic: Kohli reflects on Bengaluru stampede
Bengaluru (PTI): India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting superstar Virat Kohli has opened up about the June 4 stampede during his franchise's IPL victory celebrations here, saying "nothing in life really prepares you for the heartbreak" of 11 deaths on what should have been the happiest day for his side.
The tragic incident occurred when an estimated 2.5 lakh fans thronged the at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate RCB's maiden IPL title.
"Nothing in life really prepares you for a heartbreak like June 4th. What should’ve been the happiest moment in our franchise's history...turned into something tragic," Kohli was quoted as saying by RCB on its 'X' handle.
"I've been thinking of and praying for the families of those we lost...and for our fans who were injured. Your loss is part of our story now. Together, we will move forward with care, respect and responsibility," he added in his first elaborate comment on the mishap that led to widespread criticism of the franchise as well.
An official inquiry into the incident attributed the chaos to the lack of proper clearances and the overwhelming crowd, which surged in response to social media invitations sent out by the franchise.
The police admitted to being grossly outnumbered to manage the turnout and RCB was held responsible in the probe for encouraging the fans to come out in numbers.
In the aftermath, RCB announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the deceased and pledged to take "meaningful action" in their memory.
It also launched a foundation, RCB Cares, which has promised to work closely with stadium authorities, sporting bodies and league partners to design better crowd management protocols.
“Nothing in life really prepares you for a heartbreak like June 4th. What should’ve been the happiest moment in our franchise’s history… turned into something tragic. I’ve been thinking of and praying for the families of those we lost… and for our fans who were injured. Your… pic.twitter.com/nsJrKDdKWB
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) September 3, 2025
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Two people killed as poultry vehicle rams into parked truck in Belagavi
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Two people were killed, and another was severely injured after a goods vehicle transporting poultry birds allegedly rammed into a stationary truck on a national highway in Belagavi in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.
The deceased have been identified as Wasim (28) and Mubarak (22), both natives of Shivamogga district, they said.
The driver of the vehicle, Basavaraj Eerappa Hanchinamani (37), suffered critical injuries and has been admitted to a hospital, police said.
According to police, the accident occurred when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, allegedly due to drowsiness, and crashed into a truck parked along the highway.
The goods vehicle was en route from Kolhapur to Sorab in Shivamogga district, carrying poultry. Several chickens were also killed in the impact, a senior police officer said.
Police personnel from the Hirebagewadi Police Station visited the spot and conducted an inspection.
Injured people and the bodies of the deceased were shifted to a hospital, police added.
