Virat Kohli Ends Silence On Bengaluru Stampede: "Nothing In Life Really..."
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) icon Virat Kohli has paid tribute to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede victims and their families. On June 4, RCB's title celebrations were marred by a tragedy, which occurred when nearly two-and-half-lakh people thronged the stadium to catch a glimpse of Kohli and others. The resulting chaos killed 11 people and left several others injured. Last month, RCB announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede.
On Wednesday, Kohli, in an emotional message, extended his support to the families of the victims, as well as the ones who were injured that day.
"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 loss is part of our story now. Together, we will move forward with care, respect and responsibility," said Kohli, as quoted by RCB.
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.
(With PTI Inputs)
Trending News