A chaotic situation broke out on Monday night at the Arambagh Boys High School ground on the final day of the Arambagh festival, as an excessive crowd gathered to see Tollywood star Jeet. Several people fell ill during the stampede, while two people were trampled and admitted to the hospital.
Police identified one of the injured as Sheikh Mohammad Arif, a resident of Arambagh. Several police personnel were also injured after falling amid the chaos. During the stampede, 14 children were separated from their families. Police later rescued them and safely handed them over to their parents.
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What happened when Jeet arrived in Aramabagh?
According to local sources, Jeet took the stage around 7 PM and entertained the audience by singing songs and reciting dialogues from his films. At one point, he invited a few people onto the stage, which further excited the crowd. Eyewitnesses said many spectators were dancing while he was performing.
The situation worsened when Jeet began throwing teddy bears and chocolates from the stage towards the audience. Viewers rushed forward to collect the items, triggering pushing and shoving among the crowd. Fans from the back tried to move towards the front, causing panic and a stampede. Many people fell while trying to escape and were trampled.
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The aftermath
Two people were admitted to the hospital in serious condition that night. Several police officers sustained injuries after falling, and multiple shops in the area were damaged. Police said the ground has a capacity of around 5,000 spectators, but nearly 30,000 people had entered, leading to the incident.
