Children died, no one can bear this loss: DK Shivakumar breaks down on camera after B'luru stampede
Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar broke down on camera while addressing the media on the tragic stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru that claimed eleven lives and left several others injured.
A visibly shaken Shivakumar said the victims included children as young as 15, and the loss was unbearable. “I’ve seen with my eyes at least ten people who passed away. No family can digest this loss,” he said, choking back tears.
Recounting the events leading up to the tragedy, Shivakumar explained how rapidly the situation escalated. He revealed that the Police Commissioner urgently asked him to wind up the event within ten minutes due to rising concerns. “He told me that 1–2 lives have been lost. Rush the event, finish it in 10 minutes,” Shivakumar said.
Reacting to criticism from the opposition, Shivakumar urged for empathy during the tragedy. “Let the opposition do politics on dead bodies. I will list how many dead bodies they have done politics on. But it hurts to see the little children. I have seen their pain," he stated.
On Wednesday, he acknowledged that the crowd was far larger than expected, stating, “The stadium has a capacity of 35,000, but over three lakh people were present. We never anticipated such a massive turnout.” He also apologised for the failure in crowd control, adding, “This incident happened where the gates were broken. We fully apologise for this.”
Meanwhile, State Home Minister G. Parameshwara announced that the Karnataka government will soon introduce a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for mega events, meetings, and celebrations to prevent such tragedies in the future.
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Allen, Raghuvanshi, Green power KKR to 29-run win over GT
Kolkata (PTI): Finn Allen blasted a 35-ball 93, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi hit an unbeaten 44-ball 82 as Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 29-run win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL match here on Saturday.
Sent in to bat, Allen went on a six-hitting spree, smashing 10 maximums and four boundaries to add 95 off 41 balls with Raghuvanshi (82).
Raghuvanshi then shared another 108 off 53 balls with Cameron Green (52 not out) to power KKR to a challenging 247 for 2.
In reply, GT could manage 218-4, riding on skipper Shubman Gill's 49-ball 85 and a 35-ball 57 from Jos Buttler. Opener Sai Sudarsan was retired hurt but returned to make a 28-ball 53 not out.
Sunil Narine (2/29) claimed two wickets and Saurabh Dubey snapped one for KKR.
For GT, Mohammed Siraj (1/50), Sai Kishore (1/38) were the wicket-takers.
Brief Score:
KKR: 247 for 2 in 20 overs (Finn Allen 93, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 82 not out, Camero Green 52 not out; Mohammed Siraj 1/50).
GT: 218 for 4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 85, Sunil Narine 2/29).
