Apple Fans Fight Outside BKC Store During iPhone Launch

Pandemonium broke out at the Apple store in Mumbai’s bustling Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) on Friday morning as eager shoppers and tech enthusiasts turned a highly anticipated iPhone 17 launch into a chaotic brawl. The frenzy, captured in a viral video by news agency PTI, showed dozens of men packed tightly outside the sleek glass-fronted store, pushing, shoving, and even throwing punches in a desperate scramble to secure the latest iPhone models.

The footage revealed a tense scene: one man in a red shirt was forcibly dragged out by uniformed security personnel after attempting to strike a guard. As the scuffle unfolded, another shopper in a white shirt stepped in to check on the guard’s well-being, while the crowd continued its uproar in the background.

A lone security guard, brandishing a raised lathi, struggled to restore order, only for another individual in a black-and-white shirt to be hauled away by an armed guard in combat fatigues. The lack of adequate security measures, shoppers claimed, fueled the disorder, with many accusing queue-jumpers of sparking the confrontation.

Mohan Yadav, who traveled from Ahmedabad and had been waiting since 5 a.m., vented his frustration to ANI, blaming the chaos on lax security. “People are breaking lines, and those of us who’ve been here for hours are left stranded. The security officials aren’t taking responsibility,” he said, echoing the sentiments of many who felt cheated out of their chance to purchase the coveted device.

Also Read: Newly Inaugurated Sairang Station Found Covered in Garbage

The iPhone 17 series, including the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and Pro Max, hit stores across India on Friday, with prices ranging from Rs 82,900 to a staggering Rs 2.3 lakh. The launch drew massive crowds not just in Mumbai but also in Delhi, where fans camped overnight outside the Apple store at Select Citywalk Mall in Saket, and in Bengaluru, where a comparatively calmer but equally enthusiastic rush was reported.

The excitement surrounding Apple’s latest offerings, boasting cutting-edge features like advanced AI capabilities and enhanced cameras, has clearly struck a chord with Indian consumers. However, the Mumbai incident underscores the challenges of managing such high-demand launches. Shoppers and industry observers are now calling for better crowd control measures, including stricter queue management and increased security presence, to prevent such scenes in the future.

As Apple continues to captivate the Indian market, the BKC store brawl serves as a stark reminder of the frenzy that flagship tech launches can ignite.

Also Read: Pro-Pakistan Slogans Disrupt Bhadravati’s Eid Milad Festivities