MANGALURU: In all, 13 women and children fell ill during the Ashoka Jana Mana event at Kombettu Ground at Puttur on Monday.
CM Siddaramaiah attended the event, organised by Puttur MLA Ashok Rai, to distribute plates and clothes to the public for Deepavali. The programme started late and concluded by 4 pm.
As the crowd exceeded the stadium capacity, several people especially women and children felt suffocated and fell ill soon after the CM left the venue around 4 pm. Lunch too was served around that time. “The situation was caused when people rushed to the spot where lunch was being served and gifts given out,” a police source said.
‘Delay in lunch, giving gifts’
“The incident occurred because of the delay in serving lunch and distributing gifts. Women fell ill because of dehydration. Three women were given intravenous fluids, while others were discharged. All are out of danger,” a police source said. Those who attended the event said there was no proper drinking water facility, while many women who had brought their children struggled, they said.