1 killed, 17 injured after stage collapses at an event in Delhi’s Kalkaji Mandir

In a tragic incident, one woman was killed and 17 others were injured after a platform, made of wood and iron frame, at a Mata Jagran in Delhi’s famous Kalkaji Mandir collapsed at the intervention night of Saturday and Sunday, reported news agency ANI citing the Delhi Police.

As per the visuals shared by the news agency, several devotees climbed on the stage after they got excited when hymns were being sung. As a result of this, the stage collapsed and a chaos erupted with the devotees running here and there.

According to the police, no permission was granted for holding the event. There was a gathering of around 1500-1600 people to attend the jagrata (overnight awakening) of Goddess Durga, a hindu ritual comprising all-night vigils, songs, dances and worship for the veneration of the deity, in the temple’s Mahant Parisar. However, sufficient staff was deployed to maintain law and order.

Singer B Praak, who had also come to the event, expressed grief over the incident. While sharing a video message on his Instagram story, the singer said that management at such events holds a crucial role.

“This is the first time I’ve seen something like this happen before my eyes, and I’m deeply saddened by it. What happened while I was singing at Kalkaji Mandir is extremely unfortunate,” he said in the video message.

The city police’s crime team visited the spot after the tragic accident. The injured people were admitted to the hospital including AIIMS Trauma Centre, Safdarjung Hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment and the condition of all other injured is stable, while a few suffered fractures.

A case under the sections of 337/304A/188 of the Indian Penal Code(IPC) has been registered against the organisers, the police said.