Bhubaneswar: A stampede-like situation occurred at Birsa Munda Stadium during the final match of Hockey India in Rourkela.
Five to six persons were injured and admitted to Rourkela Government Hospital and Ispat General Hospital (IGH). The incident occurred due to a massive crowd with heavy pandemonium outside the packed stadium.
According to reports, the stadium had witnessed poor turnouts during all other league matches, but a sudden rush of audiences was reported to watch the performance of young Bollywood sensation Sara Ali Khan.
Most people had entered the stadium during the daytime without tickets or valid passes. To manage the crowd in the evening, the stadium authorities closed the gates at around 6:30 PM, resulting in chaos outside the gates as thousands of audiences waited 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 Wadhani, said that 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 that the injured persons included some police personnel who did not require hospitalization.
