At least five people died and several others, including Jain disciples and police personnel, were injured after a makeshift stage collapsed at ‘Nirvana Laddu Parv’ of the first Tirthankara in Jainism, Bhagwan Adinath, in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat on Tuesday.
The collapse caused chaos and panic at the site, and several devotees were reportedly injured due to the same.
Rescue operations were underway on Tuesday morning to bring out those trapped under the makeshift stage and the authorities have sprung into action.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and issued directives to the local district authorities to provide immediate relief to the injured people. He also wished for the speedy recovery of those injured in the mishap.
Baghpat District Magistrate, Asmita Lal and Superintendent of Police, Arpit Vijayvargiya rushed to the district hospital to know the wellness of the injured.
Talking over phone, Baghpat's Baraut Circle Officer, Vijay Singh Tomar confirmed six deaths in the incident so far.
At least 40 were injured in the incident however the figures were varying across reports.
{{/usCountry}}At least 40 were injured in the incident however the figures were varying across reports.
{{/usCountry}}"A ‘machaan’ (makeshift platform collapsed during the 'Laddu Mahotsav' program of the Jain community in Baraut. As per the information coming in, about 20-25 people were injured. Some had general injuries and received first aid before being sent home. 2-3 people are seriously injured, who are undergoing treatment in nearby hospitals," SP Arpit Vijayvargiya told ANI.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav reacted to the incident by reposting a post on X. Here is the post that Yadav reshared:
The Tirupati stampede case
Earlier this month, at least six people were killed and 35 injured in a stampede near one of India's busiest and richest temples, Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, popularly known as Tirupati, in Andhra Pradesh.
The stampede happened after thousands of devout Hindus assembled there to secure free visit passes.
"The stampede took place when the gate was opened. About 2,500 people just pushed through the gate... a few fell," S Venkateswar, the district collector, told reporters.
Andhra chief minister N Chardrababu Naidu ordered higher officials to go to the scene of the incident and take relief measures to ensure that the injured get better treatment. The next day, he visited the site and ordered a high level probe.
(With inputs from Rohit Kumar Singh)