Pune: Over a dozen people were injured after a stampede-like situation broke out at Shivneri Fort, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in Junnar taluka of Pune district on the occasion of Shiv Jayanti.
What actually happened?
The stampede-like situation was triggered at the Shivneri Fort following the gathering of a huge crowd to celebrate Shivaji Jayanti.
The incident occurred when lakhs of devotees from across the state arrived at the historic birthplace of the Maratha warrior king to pay tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji, that resulted in packed premises, choked key entry points, which led to suffocation and chaos.
What about security arrangements?
Due to inadequate arrangements, the situation turned tense for some time. Due to narrow historic gates, heavy congestion was reported below the Amberkhana area, particularly around the Hathi Darwaza and Ganesh Darwaza entrances.
The stampede-like scenario was triggered when the pathways became overcrowded as large numbers of people tried to move forward simultaneously.
Many people, including women and young children, sustained injuries in the commotion. The victims were immediately rushed to the Junnar Government Hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment.
Police and local authorities acted quickly to control the crowd and help the injured.
What did the police say?
The police official said that the stampede occurred between 3 and 3:30 am on Thursday, when a group carrying Shiv Jyot and saffron flags was descending the fort.
“At that time, our police sub-inspector and a team of six personnel were stationed at Meena Darwaza, where the descent begins”, they said.
Will Fadnavis attend the event?
Every year, Shiv Jayanti celebrations at Shivneri Fort are organised annually by the Maharashtra Government
Despite the stampede, the Grand Shiv Janmotsav Ceremony will proceed as scheduled and attended by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.
