Rourkela: Around six persons were injured as a stampede-like situation took place at Birsa Munda Stadium in Odisha’s Rourkela during the final match of Hockey India in Rourkela.
While the revamped Hockey India League finished on a high with Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers claiming the first title, five to six sustained injuries as a small section of a gate fell following the commotion outside the stadium on Saturday.
Sources said the injured were rushed to Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) and Ispat General Hospital (IGH). The incident occurred due to a huge crowd with utter chaos outside the packed stadium.
While the stadium had earlier witnessed poor to moderate turnout during all other league matches, a sudden rush of visitors was reported on the final day to watch the performance of young Bollywood sensation Sara Ali Khan.
People even without the required passes got into the stadium, and it was choc-a-bloc inside halfway into the first match of the day. To keep things under control inside, the gates were finally closed at around 6.30 pm and that resulted in commotion as nearly 4000 people waited outside the stadium hoping to get in.
Many VVIPs with valid passes were also seen staying away from the mega show due to the chaos.
Rourkela’s Superintendent of Police, Nitesh Wadhwani, said such a situation arose due to overcrowding as people entered through a free-for-all entry. People also broke Gate No. 2 and the security chamber window at Gate No. 5 and entered the stadium. The SP said the injured persons included some police personnel who did not require hospitalisation.
However, it was learnt from sources that the number of injuries was around 12, of which a few had been shifted to hospital for treatment. But things finally started to get better after people started leaving the stadium post Khan’s performance.
Meanwhile, secretary general of Hockey India Bhola Nath Singh apologised to the people who came but failed to enter the stadium. “I didn’t expect this kind of turnout on the final day. I request the administration and police to politely and respectfully manage the crowd, avoiding any force or confrontation,” Bhola Nath was quoted by TOI as saying.
