A day after nearly 25 people suffered injuries as a viewing gallery collapsed during a kabaddi tournament in Telangana’s Suryapet district, police have registered a case against the contractors and organisers of the event. The accident occurred on Monday around 7 pm, during the inauguration ceremony for the 47th Guntakandla Savithramma Memorial Junior National Kabaddi championship, organised by the Telangana Kabaddi Association and Kabaddi Association of Suryapet district.
Police have booked the organisers and the contractor Shiva Sai Decorators under sections 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others), 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to the Times of India.
Police had earlier said that the cause of the accident was suspected to be a weak structure. Suryapet police have reportedly said that the contractor had used logs instead of iron rods while building the gallery, and the police are reportedly verifying the permissions obtained by the contractors and organisers from various government departments. According to The New Indian Express, the Suryapet District Collector has instructed a three-member committee to probe the technical reasons for the accident.
According to Telangana Minister for Energy G Jagadish Reddy, who was the chief guest at the event, around 100 people were rushed to the hospital after the accident and most of them were sent back after first-aid treatment. Around 25 persons had suffered injuries, and a few people were grievously injured, according to Superintendent of Police for Suryapet, R Bhaskaran. No fatalities were reported due to the accident.
The tournament continued on Tuesday, after being moved to an open area with fire and medical services on standby, The New Indian Express reported, with participation of players from various states.