Gopalganj (Bihar):Three persons including a 5-year-old child died and several others were injured during a stampede in a puja pandal in Bihar's Gopalganj on Monday, officials said.
The deceased were identified as Aash Kumar, (5), Urmila Devi, (55), and Shanti Devi.
Police said there were two elderly women who accompanied the deceased child and they lost their lives in their attempt to protect the child who fell down while receiving 'prasad'.
Police said at least a dozen more were injured in the stampede triggered while the pandal organisers were dishing out 'prasad'.
According to eyewitnesses, there was hardly any police personnel deployed at Raja Dal Puja Pandal and the crowd kept swarming to the spot in an unorganised manner resulting in a stampede. A posse of police force reached the spot and controlled the situation.
Gopalganj Superintendent of Police Swarna Prabhat said the incident happened at a crowded pandal in the Raja Dal locality of the town.
The devotees had lined up to receive "prasad" when a child fell down. Two elderly women who were with the child bent over the child in their bid to protect the child from getting crushed.
This led to a commotion in the crowd and pushing and shoving resulted in injuries to 13 women and the child. All were rushed to the Sadar hospital where the boy and two elderly women died, the SP said.
Gopalganj police shared two videos of children being carried away to the hospital by the police constables who were on duty at the Puja Pandal.
The injured child was taken to the hospital by constable Binod Kumar and the child's life was saved. And the other injured child was quickly taken to the hospital by constable Anil Kumar. However, the child's life could not be saved, the police tweeted in Hindi.
Shubham Kumar, (5), another child, who was injured in the stampede is said to be critical and has been referred to a Gorakhpur hospital for further treatment.
District administration officials and organising committee members of the Pandal took stock of the situation.
