North India Statesman
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News India Live, Digital Desk: There was chaos today in Shivneri Fort, the birthplace of Maharashtra’s pride Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, when suddenly a huge stampede broke out during Shiva Janmotsav. There are reports of many Shiva devotees being injured in this accident. This incident, which took place amid huge crowd and security arrangements, has raised serious questions on the preparations of the administration.
There was a flood of devotees
Like every year, this time too on the birth anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj, thousands of followers and tourists had reached Shivneri Fort in Junnar, Pune. There was an atmosphere of excitement since the morning, but as the day progressed, the pressure of the crowd increased. The situation went out of control due to narrow roads and excessive crowding.
How did the accident happen?
According to eyewitnesses, there were more people than the capacity at the entrances and paths leading up to the fort. Meanwhile, some people started pushing each other in a race to get out quickly, which led to a stampede-like situation. Many people were injured, including women and children, due to being crushed and falling under the pressure of the crowd.
Administration and relief work
Immediately after the incident, the local police and administration took charge. The injured have been taken to nearby hospitals for first aid. At present, additional police force has been deployed at the spot to control the crowd and avoid any untoward incident.
Questions raised on security
Shiva Janmotsav is a big emotional and cultural festival of Maharashtra. In such a situation, every year lakhs of people gather at Shivneri Fort. After this stampede, resentment towards the administration is being seen among the local people and Shiva devotees. Questions are being raised as to why concrete arrangements were not made in advance for crowd management.
