At least 100 people were injured when a temporary gallery erected for the 47th Junior National Kabaddi Championship collapsed here at the SP office grounds on Monday.
While most of the spectators, enthusiastic locals who assembled for the inaugural ceremony, suffered limb injuries, five persons with bleeding injuries were rushed out of Suryapet town for emergency care.
The incident involving one of the three galleries was captured on cameras at around 7 p.m., when the inaugural ceremony was just about to begin and the participating boys and girls were waiting for the arrival of chief guest – local legislator and Energy Minister G. Jagadish Reddy to start their march .
The four-day championship in Suryapet, being organised by Telangana Kabaddi Association and locally sponsored by Savitramma Foundation, is scheduled to host 105 matches with 29 boys’ and 28 girls’ teams from across 29 States.
According to police officials , it is suspected that overcrowding of the the gallery with more than 500 people led to the collapse.
More than 200 police personnel in and around the venue were the first responders who rushed the injured in police vehicles, ambulances and private vehicles. The injured were rushed to the hospitals in the town and a few of the seriously injured were taken to Kamineni Hospitals at Narketpally and to other hospitals in Hyderabad.
About 40 orthopaedic specialists and other doctors from the regional chapter of Indian Medical Association also opened their clinics to offer emergency service. Doctors at the district hospital later confirmed that the victims were stable and there was no loss of life .
Mr. Jagadish Reddy said the incident was unfortunate and thanked the police and medical departments for initiating quick action. He met the injured at the various hospitals and assured them of special care in government and private hospitals.
Meanwhile, Pradesh Congress Committee president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed shock over the gallery collapse and demanded action against the organisers for poor arrangements.
The Nalgonda MP called out volunteers and cadres of Congress party in the town to take up relief measures.
