Bihar: 5-year-old child, two women killed in stampede at Durga Puja pandal

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Durga Puja pandal in Bihar's Gopalganj district on Monday, said police, adding that several others received injuries. Superintendent of Police Swarna Prabhat said the incident happened at a crowded pandal in the Raja Dal locality of the town, according to a report published by the news agency PTI. He said devotees had lined up to receive "prasad" when the child fell down and two elderly women bent down to protect him from getting crushed.

"The ensuing commotion left 13 women and the child injured. They were rushed to the Sadar hospital. The boy and the two elderly women died.

The rest were said to be out of danger," said the SP. Police added that the area around the incident site has been sealed with a view to keep the situation under control. “There were huge crowds of revellers across Durga Puja pandals on Navami today.

A child fell to the ground due to overcrowding at the gate of a Puja pandal, and was trampled upon as revellers ran helter-skelter during the stampede," DM Nawal Kishor Choudhary told ANI. Choudhary said, “Two women, who ran in to save the child, also fell and couldn't get back on their feet. They gasped for air and succumbed while being taken to a hospital barely 200 metres away.

District officials and the police are at the spot currently." “There was a stampede near the gate of Raja Dal Puja Pandal around 8.30 pm. A child fell to the ground and was trampled upon as the revellers ran helter-skelter. Two women rushed to the child's rescue but also ended up being trampled upon by the crowds.

The women gasped for air and succumbed while being rushed to a hospital. The local magistrate and a police team arrived at the spot and took control of the situation," the Gopalganj SP said. (With inputs from