By R. Rakendu
On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, a 65-foot homemade stage collapsed during a religious gathering of the Jain community in the Baghpat area of Uttar Pradesh, resulting in at least seven fatalities and over 60 injuries.
The stage collapse occurred around 7:15 AM at CPU School in Baraut, which is about 20 kilometres from Baghpat. This incident happened during the “Nirvana Laddu Parv” celebration of the first Jain Tirthankara, Bhagwan Adinath.
A huge gathering had been present for the program, which had also included the traditional ritual of devotees touching the feet of the Tirthankara. The police said the collapse started when the stairs on the way up to the stage collapsed, causing the stage to fall, with the devotees crashing into one another.
The victims were Amit (40), Usha (65), Tarashpal Jain (75), Shilpi Jain (25), Arun Jain (48), Kamlesh (65), and Vipin Jain (44). The injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals, and 20 people have received treatment and are now discharged. However, many others are still admitted.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his sadness on the losses and said support and medical attention are being made sure for those hurt. The union minister of rural development and labour, and leader of RLD, Jayant Chaudhury, visited victims in hospitals.
The local police said the event had been celebrated for more than 25 years and that a no-objection certificate (NOC) had been obtained for the gathering. However, the authorities are investigating the cause of the stage’s collapse. Baghpat’s Senior Superintendent of Police, Arpit Vijayvargiya, said that the crowd, which was between 500 and 700, had gathered at the time of the incident.
Additional District Magistrate of Baraut, Pankaj Verma, assured the public that an inquiry is being done and those responsible will be punished. He underlined the fact that urgent medical attention was required, and even e-rickshaws were used for transporting the victim due to a shortage of ambulances.
The contractor who built the stairs of the stage has been taken into custody and is being questioned further. An investigation on the matter is going on. The local authorities promise proper care for all affected by this disaster.