10 injured as balcony collapses in Bihar’s Chapra

Patna, Sep 4 (IANS) At least 10 people were injured after the balcony of a building, on which they were watching the Mahaviri procession, collapsed in Bihar’s Chhapra district.

The crowd had gathered to watch the orchestra performance at the procession.The accident took place during a fair in the Isuapur block of the district around 11.30 pm on Tuesday.Dr Kumar Aashish, the SP of Saran told IANS that only 10 people were injured in this mishap.“As soon as we learnt about the incident, we sent additional forces to the place to rescue the people. 10 people sustained minor injuries and scratches in this incident and were admitted to the Isuapur community health centre. They were given the preliminary treatment and discharged from the hospital,” Aashish said.An event was held in Isuapur village during the annual Mahaviri Mela procession, which included performances by an orchestra group.The accident happened when a large number of people crowded onto the balcony of an old building to watch performances, causing it to collapse under the weight.The eyewitnesses said that a large number of crowds gathered on the ground as well. When the mishap took place, the people who were standing on the balcony fell on them. As a result, they did not sustain major injuries. Luckily, debris did not fall on the people standing on the ground.“The police personnel were already deployed at the fair and immediately initiated a rescue operation when the incident occurred,” Aashish said.Fortunately, the people on the balcony fell onto those gathered below, which helped cushion their fall and prevented more severe injuries.The incident has raised concerns about safety measures at such large gatherings, particularly during popular community events.Mahaviri Mela procession is a religious event organised in every district of Bihar every year.This incident underscores the need for stricter safety protocols during community events, especially those that draw large crowds, to prevent similar accidents in the future.–IANSajk/uk