Woman killed in stampede at BJP event in Nagpur

A 65-year-old woman was killed and four others were injured in a stampede at a programme organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra's Nagpur city on Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred at a camp organised by the BJP's Nagpur city unit at Kavivarya Suresh Bhat Auditorium in the Reshimbagh area around 10.30 am, an official from Kotwali police station said.

The party had arranged the camp to distribute utensils and other essential items to workers registered with the Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, he said.

People started gathering outside the venue around 5 am, and a massive crowd had formed by the time the gates were thrown open to the beneficiaries, the official said.

As the crowd rushed in, some women fell and sustained injuries, he said.

The victim, Manubai Tulshiram Rajput, collapsed in the stampede and was rushed to a government hospital, where doctors declared her dead, the official said, adding that four other women sustained minor injuries.

At least 50 police personnel, including women, were deployed at the venue at the time of the incident, the official said.

A case of accidental death has been registered, and a probe has been initiated into the incident, he said.