Overcrowding at Pune fort triggers stampede; woman, children seriously injured

PTC News Desk: A very large number of people gathered at Shivneri Fort in Pune district to celebrate Shivaji Jayanti. Due to the huge crowd, a stampede broke out, and several people, including women and small children, were injured. The incident happened as people arrived to take part in the celebrations and rituals at the historic fort.

Many visitors had been coming to the fort since Wednesday night. Some were carrying the ceremonial Shiv Jyot, and members of different organisations were also present. Because of the large turnout, there was heavy crowding at key entry points inside the fort. A video from the top shows a massive crowd holding saffron flags and Shiv Jyot, moving very slowly. Soon after, some people tried to escape the slow, overcrowded line by climbing onto old parts of the fort, where others were already standing.

Officials said there were not enough police officers at the site to manage the unexpected rush. The situation became worse at narrow entry and exit gates, especially Hathi Darwaza and Ganesh Darwaza near Amberkhana, where groups of people tried to move forward at the same time, leading to the stampede.

Emergency teams quickly reached the spot and took all the injured people to a government hospital in Junnar. Authorities said that the injured are still receiving treatment there.