Chaos at Shreya Ghoshal concert during Baliyatra in Cuttack, one injured in crowd surge
Cuttack: A massive crowd surge during Shreya Ghoshal’s live concert at the Baliyatra festival in Odisha’s Cuttack on Thursday evening triggered brief chaos, leaving one person injured, officials said.
According to district authorities, the situation escalated when thousands of fans rushed towards the stage as the popular playback singer began her performance. The show was halted for a short period before resuming once police intervened and restored order.
During the rush, one individual fainted and was immediately taken to a nearby hospital. Police later confirmed that the person suffered only a minor injury and is in stable condition. “There was no major untoward incident. The crowd was large, but it was managed effectively,” commissioner of police S Dev Datta Singh told PTI.
Senior officers monitoring the concert from the control room rushed to the venue to assess the situation. Using public address systems, police appealed to the audience to remain calm and avoid pushing forward.
The incident occurred despite extensive security arrangements, with nearly 70 platoons-around 2,100 personnel-deployed for crowd management during Baliyatra, one of India’s biggest trade fairs.
The closing night of the nine-day festival attracted an unexpectedly huge turnout. Eyewitnesses reported that the crowd pressed hard against stage barricades in an attempt to move closer to the performance area, overwhelming the existing arrangements.
The sudden pressure, limited space and rising heat triggered panic among attendees, with some reportedly collapsing due to suffocation and exhaustion before the situation was brought under control.
(with inputs from agencies)
