Pune: At least 15 to 16 young men and women were injured after an iron lighting girder collapsed during a Holi celebration programme at Royal Palms on Koregaon Park–Mundhwa Road on Tuesday afternoon.
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The incident occurred during the “Colour Culture” event organised on the occasion of Holi, which had drawn a large crowd of revellers.
According to police officials, a horizontal iron beam that had been installed as part of the stage lighting arrangement suddenly gave way. It fell onto attendees standing near the stage area. The collapse triggered panic among those present. Eyewitnesses said that several participants rushed away from the spot in fear.
Eyewitnesses said the structure appeared to tilt before crashing down. It caught people off guard. Event organisers and volunteers immediately stepped in to assist the injured and shifted them to nearby hospitals for medical attention.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 6) Rajkumar Shinde stated, “Four of the injured were admitted to Sassoon General Hospital for treatment, while others sustained minor injuries. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt in the incident.” He added that all the injured are reported to be in stable condition.
Senior Police Inspector Smita Wasnik, incharge of Mundhwa Police Station, said police teams reached the venue promptly after receiving information about the mishap. “We are present at the scene. The situation is peaceful and under control,” she said.
Police officials have begun an inquiry to ascertain the exact cause of the collapse and to examine whether proper safety measures were followed by the event organisers.
