New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) More people had turned up than was expected for the religious function at Kalkaji Temple where a stage collapsed, killing one and injuring 17 others, victims and temple authorities said.

Commotion and panic gripped the corridors of AIIMS Trauma Centre when injured persons were brought to it from Kalkaji Temple after the stage collapsed.

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According to hospital staff, from 1.22 am until 10.26 am on Sunday, the wounded were being admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre. "A total of 14 injured people were admitted here, of which most were released by this morning,” an emergency nurse coordinator said on Monday.

A woman died and 17 devotees were injured when a stage at the Kalkaji Temple collapsed during a 'jagran' late Saturday.

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Alka, who is among those who sustained serious injuries in the incident, said the management was ill-equipped to handle the number of people who had come for the function.

The woman said she had gone to the ‘jagran' with two of her cousins, one of whom was also brought to the hospital after he sustained minor injuries. Alka's left leg had to be operated on due to a serious injury.

"Everything was fine until it started getting overcrowded,” she said.

But as there was no management to control the crowd, the stage collapsed, Alka said, adding that it was a “dreadful experience.

Alka said compared to the crowd that attended the ‘jagran', the space provided was not big enough. The “management's irresponsibility” caused the incident and it could have been prevented if they had taken proper steps, she said.

Around 1,600 people attended the ‘jagran' (religious function) which was organised at the Mahant Parisar of Kalkaji temple on Saturday, police said.

Alka added that she and her cousins were sitting right behind Tina (45), the woman who lost her life in the incident. Alka said that she had spoken to Tina during the ‘jagran', who was a constant visitor at the temple.

"Tina's presence at the temple was a constant. Every day at 4 am she would visit it not as an obligation but to pray for her son who is suffering from blood cancer," she said.

Temple authorities, however, said more people had turned up for the ‘jagran' than previous years as singer B Praak also attended the function.

"I was there on the stage when the incident occurred. The stage set up just collapsed suddenly, creating havoc," said a temple priest.

Mayank, a ‘sevadar' at Kalkaji Temple, said, “The seating was made for a limited number of people, but people kept overcrowding. We constantly pleaded with them to get down from the stage, but they did not listen, which imbalanced the stage and it collapsed.”

Charges of mismanagement are being probed by the police. An FIR has been registered against the organisers.

However, undeterred by the happenings of the night before, devotees continued to throng the temple. Security has been heightened at the temple.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)