Tragedy ·
Two Low-Intensity Bombs Delay IPL Match at Chinnaswamy Stadium
Reports differed on how many people were injured in the April 2010 blasts. Play began an hour late after police searched the venue.
Thousands of spectators were entering M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on 17 April 2010 when two small bombs exploded outside, shortly before an Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. The sound sent fans running. The match would still be played, but only after an hour’s delay and a security search.
Police described the explosives as low-intensity. Near Gate 12, a section of the stadium’s perimeter wall was damaged. Commissioner Shankar Bidari said explosive material appeared to have been hidden behind a plastic board near the wall. An eyewitness quoted by the Press Trust of India described the impact: “Suddenly there was a sound and some pieces of wall flew off. Some were hit on the face.”
The injury reports differed that day. The BBC reported at least eight people hurt; the Associated Press reported 10. PTI put the total at 15, citing police, and said the injured included four police officers and a private security guard. PTI also reported that three injured policemen had been moved to a private hospital’s intensive care unit.
Hospital sources told PTI that five people with damaged eardrums were receiving inpatient treatment, while seven others with bruises had been discharged after first aid. Police cordoned off the area and closed the gates as spectators waited to enter. Additional officers were deployed, and security personnel searched around the venue with sniffer dogs.
The first explanation had been different. According to the Associated Press, police and local cricket officials initially said an electricity generator had blown up. Additional police commissioner M.R. Poojar subsequently told the agency that preliminary investigations indicated locally made, low-intensity explosives. Forensic experts examined material from the scene, and Bidari said conclusions would have to await the investigators’ report.
Even as that work began, officials sought to reassure the crowd. “There is no cause for panic. The match will go on. We have taken all precautionary measures,” Bidari said. Police gave an all-clear, and play began after security staff inspected the grounds.
Bangalore captain Anil Kumble brushed aside suggestions that some of his overseas players had refused to take the field. “Coming from Bangalore, my home city, I had a chat with the players just to reassure them,” he said. “I did not have much of a problem convincing them to play.” After the delayed start, Mumbai Indians beat Royal Challengers Bangalore.