Jagatsinghpur: Around five were injured as a huge light gate erected for Durga Puja at Balikuda market in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district collapsed amid strong winds and heavy rainfall on Thursday.
As per preliminary information, the incident which took place in the morning led to traffic disruption on the main road connecting Jagatsinghpur and Machhagaon.
Locals said around 30-foot-tall and 20-foot-wide gate crumbled all of a sudden and fall some people. A girl and her brother travelling on a motorcycle also came under the collapsed structure. Both sustained grievous injuries in the incident.
Puja committee members and local volunteers swung into action to remove the bamboo poles and frames and rescue the victims. The injured persons were immediately admitted to hospital in Balikuda for treatment.
On being informed, Fire Service personnel rushed to the site and dismantled the collapsed structure. At least three more light gates of similar height have reportedly been erected behind the collapsed gate at the pandal site.
Notably, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued warnings about heavy rain and strong winds under the influence of a deep depression in the region. Jagatsinghpur district was placed under a red alert due to the deep depression over the west-central Bay of Bengal, which is moving towards the Odisha-Andhra coasts.