At least seven people were killed and 50 others, including 11 policemen, were injured after a wooden stage collapsed during a Jain community event in Baraut town of Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district, police said.
The incident took place around 7:15 am on the campus of Digamber Jain Degree College where people had gathered to celebrate the 'Nirvana Laddu Parv' of Bhagwan Adinath, the first Tirthankara of Jainism.
"Of the injured, 35 have been admitted to three hospitals in Baraut, while some have been referred to hospitals in Meerut and New Delhi. That is why it is difficult to estimate the exact number of injured," said Baghpat Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Manish Kumar.
Seven people with serious injuries were in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Aastha Hospital in Baraut.
According to the police, there is a ritual of touching the feet of the first Tirthankara during 'Nirvana Laddu Parv'.
“When the devotees were about to touch the feet of the statue of the first Tirthankara, the steps came down, leading to the collapse of the entire structure,” said Vijay Kumar Singh Tomar, the Baraut District Officer.
The administration has ordered an investigation into the incident.
"We are taking all possible measures to ensure that the injured receive immediate and proper medical attention. An inquiry has been ordered and those responsible will be dealt with severely," said Baghpat District Magistrate Asmita Lal.
It is learned that police forces have arrived at the scene to bring the situation under control.
"Although the organisers had followed all the norms, including obtaining permission, an inquiry has been ordered. It will reveal what led to the collapse of the structure. Those found guilty will not be spared," said Baghpat Superintendent of Police (SP) Arpit Vijayvargiya.
Ashok Kumar Jain, vice-president of Bhaktamar Prachar Sangathan, a wing of the Jain Samaj Samiti that holds the event every year, said, “The festival has been held at the same place since 1999 and a similar structure was erected. But it seems that some wooden pillars supporting the structure were weak, leading to the accident.”
"We are in deep shock today. The Prime Minister should announce a compensation of Rs 1 billion for the families of those who died and Rs 20 lakh for the injured. The victims need the government's support at this time," said Amit Rai Jain, an office bearer of the Jain Samaj Samiti.
Sanju Tomar, head of the nursing staff at Anand Hospital, Baraut, said: “Twenty injured people were brought to our hospital this morning. Three of them have been discharged. We still have 17 injured, most of them policemen, including women.”
One of the injured police personnel, Kusum, 34, who was admitted to Anand Hospital, narrated the incident: “I along with two other women police officers were stationed near the wooden steps leading up to the 51-metre-high statue of the deity. The structure collapsed when there was a rush among devotees to step over each other to touch the feet of the deity. I got trapped under the structure and fell to the ground as people started falling on us.”
Several eyewitnesses said the injured were taken to hospitals in e-rickshaws as health facilities could not provide adequate ambulances in time. The death toll could rise further, they added.
Wasim, the contractor who has erected the wooden structure over the years, said: "Every year the event passes peacefully without any incident for the devotees. I am deeply saddened by this as I am unable to understand how this happened."
Expressing his condolences over the deaths, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the officials concerned to provide proper medical treatment to the injured.
(AA/BalkanWeb)
