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Deaths and injuries to fans mar Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s homecoming in Bengaluru
Eleven people have died in Bengaluru on Wednesday due to injuries suffered during stampede-like conditions around the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the Royal Challengers Bengaluru players were being celebrated for winning the IPL for the first time in 18 years.
There have been reports of injuries to several more people, who have been admitted to nearby hospitals.
“People were supposed to witness RCB’s IPL victory celebrations. The tragedy and death have brought deep pain and shock,” Karnataka’s deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said on social media. “My condolences to the deceased. My condolences to their family. Let there be pride, but not bigger than life. I appeal to everyone to please stay safe.”
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia expressed his condolences. “It is very unfortunate. This is a negative side of popularity,” he said. “People are crazy for their cricketers. The organisers should have planned it better. My deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. I wish early recovery of the injured.”
“When one organises a victory celebration of this magnitude, proper precautions, safety and security measures need to be taken. There have been some lapses somewhere.”
Several police personnel engaged to manage crowds were seen carrying fans, some of them minors, to hospital amid rain and heavy traffic that had come to a grinding halt, even as RCB’s victorious squad held the trophy aloft as celebrations continued in the evening in front of at least 25,000 fans who had made it inside the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
ESPNcricinfo understands the chaos outside the venue prompted state police to issue a directive to the franchise, urging them to keep the celebrations brief. A planned victory lap around the ground was also curtailed as the players and team exited the venue quickly.
An administrative staff member at one of the hospitals confirmed emergency cases ranging from dehydration to bruises and mild skull fractures. There were also cases of exhaustion and trauma resulting from the stampede-like situation that led to several fans trying to climb the boundary wall of the stadium along Cubbon Road.
A family member of one of those injured described the scenes as “complete mismanagement” by local authorities. At least four fans were brought in unconscious from the nearby Cubbon Park Metro Station, with emergency wards at Bowring Hospital and Lady Curzon Hospital working swiftly to address the crisis.
Earlier in the afternoon, a few thousand fans had gathered at the Kempegowda International Airport anticipating RCB’s arrival, even before they had departed from Ahmedabad. This led to the local police and the chief minister’s office issuing a clearance for the team to land at the city’s old HAL Airport to minimise heavy traffic movement along the route to the international airport.
Subsequently roads were cleared for the bus transporting the players to make its way from Old Airport Road to the Vidhana Soudha. Even so, the bus arrived later than the originally scheduled 4pm slot for the felicitation function. The metro service in central Bengaluru experienced more than heavy footfall, resulting in a brief stoppage of trains along the Purple Line as more private security personnel were called in to man the stations along the route to the stadium.
At one point, the stampede-like situation also led to the police employing mobile jammers, according to the stadium officials. In an additional crowd-control measure, authorities suspended stops at key metro stations near the venue to prevent more fans from disembarking and converging on the already overwhelmed area.
Heavy traffic around the ground and surrounding areas even forced a number of airlines to issue advisories to passengers flying out of Bengaluru on Wednesday evening.
(Cricinfo)
In the recent past, factors such as population growth, expansion of development activities, and deforestation in Sri Lanka have resulted in the loss of traditional migratory routes and the destruction of habitats of wild elephants.
Consequently, a continuous and rapid escalation of the human-elephant conflict has been observed over a long period, spanning 19 out of the 25 districts and 134 out of the 341 Divisional Secretariat Divisions in the country.
According to the wild elephant census conducted in 2024, the wild elephant population in the country is estimated to be approximately 7,450. It is reported that the human-elephant
conflict accounts for a significant number of human fatalities and wild elephant deaths annually.
Furthermore, over a thousand incidents of property damage caused by wild elephants are recorded each year.
Although a ‘National Action Plan to Mitigate Human-Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka’ was formulated in 2020, the dynamics of the current human-elephant conflict have evolved substantially since then, necessitating the formulation of a new national action plan.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Environment to take the necessary steps to draft a new National Action Plan for Human-Elephant Conflict Management.
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Cabinet green light to host 21st Steering Committee Meeting of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific and the 14th Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum – Asia and Pacific Regions from 23 – 26 June in Sri Lanka
Hosting the 21st Steering Committee Meeting of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific and the 14th Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum – Asia and Pacific Regions in Sri Lanka
An invitation has been extended to Sri Lanka to host two major regional aviation security summits: the 21st Steering Committee Meeting of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific (CASP-AP) and the 14th Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum (RASCF).
The Steering Committee of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific serves as the primary decision-making body for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) cooperative aviation security program in the Asia-Pacific region.
Sri Lanka is scheduled to assume the chairmanship of the said Steering Committee for the 2026-2027 term during this summit.
The Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum for the Asia and Pacific regions serves as a regional platform to deliberate on emerging threats, the implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), capacity-building activities, and coordination among member states and international
organizations.
Approximately 80 delegates, including representatives from 41 member states, international organizations, and observers, are expected to participate in these two summits.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation to host the 21st Steering Committee Meeting of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific on the 23rd and 24th of June 2026, and the 14th Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum – Asia and Pacific Regions on the 25th and 26th of June 2026 in Sri Lanka.
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Committee to examine the feasibility of operating all functions related to the Employees’ Provident Fund and the Employees’ Trust Fund under an integrated governance framework
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Labour to appoint a Committee comprising Senior Officials to examine the feasibility and submit recommendations on bringing all operations of the Employees’
Provident Fund and the Employees’ Trust Fund under an integrated governance framework managed by a tripartite board representing the Government, employers, and employees.
This initiative aims to align with international best practices while ensuring comprehensive legal and financial security for the assets of the members
Report on the Final Budgetary Condition (Annual Report) – 2025 submited to parliament
Cabinet nod to accept increased Loan Grant provided by the Asian Development Bank under Policy Based Loan Facilities – 2026
Submission of Revenue Protection Order Prepared under the Provisions of the Revenue Protection Act No. 19 of 1962 to the Parliament for its approval.
Resettlement of unauthorized settlers affected by the Land Acquisition process for the implementation of Phase III of the Baseline Road Extension Project
Cabinet approves project to modernize school hostel facilities during the 2026–2028 period at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,008 million
New National Action Plan for Human-Elephant Conflict Management to be drafted
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