CUTTACK: Two persons including a woman fainted and several others sustained injuries after a stampede-like situation broke out during Bollywood singer Shreya Ghosal’s concert on the concluding night of Balijatra on Thursday.
Sources said the incident occurred near the stage barricade when the audience, in a bid to get a closer glimpse of the playback singer, started pushing one another. The ones who fell unconscious were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
As per the eyewitnesses, thousands of visitors thronged the venue to enjoy the concert but the crowd control measures were reportedly not properly put in place. As people attempted to move closer to the stage, it created panic and confusion resulting in the jostling for space.
Security and police personnel immediately rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. Additional commissioner of police (ACP) Narasingha Bhol reached the venue to monitor the situation and ensure safe crowd dispersal.
Other senior police officials were also present at the site to prevent any further untoward incident. Sources attributed the incident to lack of proper planning by the Cuttack district administration on crowd management.
Despite anticipating a huge footfall, the district administration had not ensured proper precautionary measures, they added.