A commotion broke out at Bollywood playback singer Shreya Ghoshal’s concert at the Bali Jatra ground in Odisha’s Cuttack on Thursday evening, leaving one person injured, officials said.
District administration officials said that the situation turned chaotic when a large number of people surged towards the stage as Ghoshal appeared for her live performance. The programme was briefly halted but later resumed after the police brought the situation under control.
One person fell unconscious and was taken to a nearby hospital, amid the pushing and shoving. Thousands of fans had gathered to witness Ghoshal’s performance on the concluding day of the Bali Jatra festival.However, Commissioner of Police S Dev Datta Singh told PTI: “There was no such unpleasant situation. It is true that there was a huge crowd, but we managed it properly. One person sustained a minor injury and is stable.”
Senior police officers, including Singh—who was monitoring the event from the control room—reached the spot to assess the situation and restore normalcy. Using public address systems, the police appealed to attendees to remain calm and maintain order.
The unfortunate incident took place even though around 70 platoons—approximately 2,100 police personnel had been deployed to manage law and order and control the crowd during the Bali Jatra, one of India’s largest and most celebrated trade fairs.
It occurred on the final night of the nine-day-long historic Bali Jatra festival, which had drawn an enormous crowd eager to attend the closing concert.
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According to local media reports, thousands of people had gathered at the venue, far exceeding expectations. Eyewitnesses recounted that the crowd management measures proved insufficient as people surged toward the stage barricades, trying to get a closer look at the performers.
The sudden push and lack of space caused panic among the attendees, with several individuals reportedly fainting due to suffocation, exhaustion, and the intense pressure of the crowd.
(With inputs of PTI)
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