PATNA: Around 100 people were injured, 30 of them seriously, when a terrace of an old building where they had gathered to watch a cultural show on the occasion of Mahaviri procession late on Tuesday collapsed in Bihar’s Saran district.
Police said the incident took place around 11.15 pm at Isuapur, about 40 km from district headquarters at Chhapra. The old building is located near a temple where Mahaviri procession was taken out late on Tuesday.
Eyewitnesses said that several of the injured had gathered on the spot to watch the dance performance. The annual procession had drawn a huge crowd on the spot making the task of the police more difficult to control the mob.
While a number of spectators had climbed on the rooftop, others were standing underneath when a portion of the terrace of the old house collapsed. The seriously injured were rushed to Isuapur Primary Health Community Centre, and those with minor injuries were let off after first aid. Convenor of the Mahaviri procession, Shailendra Pratap told the media that 12 of the injured were undergoing treatment at Isuapur community health centre while others were discharged after first aid.
Two-three people who suffered serious injuries were shifted to Sadar hospital at Chhapra.
Meanwhile, a complaint has been lodged at Isuapur police station on the statement of the injured. “There is no report of any death in the incident,” a police officer posted at Isuapur police station told this reporter over the phone on Wednesday.
Saran Superintendent of Police, Kumar Ashish said that the incident took place when a temporary makeshift roof installed for procession purposes collapsed. As there was a huge crowd, a stampede-like situation was witnessed. Several of them received injuries in the process, he added.
He claimed that not more than 10 people received serious injuries in the incident. The majority of them were let off from the hospital after first aid, he added.