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Had it not been for the coordinated efforts of the city police and security agencies, Mumbai`s grand open-bus parade in July last year, celebrating India’s second T20 World Cup win, might have mirrored the tragedy that unfolded in Bengaluru this week. The Mumbai Police, along with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), executed a massive public gathering with military precision, ensuring the event unfolded seamlessly despite the overwhelming turnout.
Bengaluru became the site of a devastating tragedy on Wednesday afternoon. What began as a joyous gathering to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden IPL title descended into chaos, culminating in a deadly stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives, most of them young fans. Scattered across the site were heartbreaking reminders, at one end, mounds of shoes and sandals lay in disarray, while, at the other, torn merchandise and abandoned sports apparel served as silent witnesses to the tragedy.
Solomon’s team volunteering at Mumbai Marathon
The incident stood in stark contrast to Mumbai’s July 4 celebration last year, where over three lakh blue-clad supporters, men, women, and children, lined the iconic Marine Drive and Wankhede Stadium. Despite the staggering crowd, not a single major mishap was reported. A well-calibrated system of barricading, timely public announcements, and real-time crowd monitoring played a decisive role in ensuring order.
“Even with the best preparations, crowd dynamics can be unpredictable, and small incidents may trigger larger consequences,” Daniel Solomon, founder of Paradigm Security Consultancy, who had volunteered with the authorities during the Mumbai parade, told Mid-Day. He added that such elaborate arrangements ‘cannot be executed overnight in any country’.
Solomon also shed light on Mumbai’s success story: “Public advisories were issued in advance through social media channels to raise awareness and help manage expectations. Traffic diversions were thoughtfully implemented, even at distant junctions, to prevent congestion near the event zone. Additionally, the deployment of extra police units played a significant role in maintaining order.”
The fatal stampede in Bengaluru included victims as young as 13. Several fans had climbed trees, while broken barricades and piles of footwear marked the grim aftermath. PTI cited eyewitnesses who said 600–700 people, many of them women, forced their way through gates at once, triggering panic. Others claimed crowding intensified despite repeated warnings. One witness noted the alarming absence of police presence amid a suffocating crush.
When asked if fans themselves bear some responsibility for maintaining order at such mass gatherings, Solomon was unequivocal. “While organisers and authorities must ensure that all necessary measures are in place, individuals attending large gatherings must also remain mindful of their own safety and that of others around them,” he remarked.
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