Stampede at Shivneri Fort in Pune Leaves 20 Injured on Shivaji Jayanti

Pune: A stampede broke out at Shivneri Fort, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in Pune on Wednesday night, injuring several people including women and young children. All the injured were immediately admitted to the government hospital in Junnar. Officials have alleged that inadequate police arrangements for managing the crowd contributed to the chaos.

Sudden Surge of Devotees Triggers Panic

Thousands of devotees had gathered at the fort on Shivaji Jayanti, carrying Shiv Jyot lamps and saffron flags. The sudden surge of people caused congestion at key entry and exit points, including the Haathi Darwaza and under Ambar Khana at Ganesh Darwaza. As people struggled to move, some climbed the fort’s damaged structures and hid in cracks to escape the crowd, which led to panic and the stampede.

Emergency services responded immediately, and all injured were transported to the Junnar government hospital for treatment.

Police Claim No Stampede

Contrary to initial reports, S.P. Sandeep Singh Gil of Pune Rural stated that there was no stampede. He explained that a devotee slipped while visiting the Shiv birthplace, causing a few people on the steps to fall. Only three individuals were injured in this incident, he added.

Officials are reviewing crowd management protocols at historic sites to prevent such incidents in the future, especially during major festivals and public gatherings.