Shreya Ghoshal’s concert turns chaotic after crowd swells at Bali Jatra in Odisha's Cuttack, two faint

Bollywood playback singer Shreya Ghoshal's concert in Odisha's Cuttack turned chaotic on Thursday as thousands of fans gathered to witness her performance on the concluding day of the Bali Jatra festival.

Some fans who attended the event also rushed towards the stage.

At least two people were reportedly fainted and they were taken to a nearby hospital, amid the pushing and shoving.

However, as commotion broke, Shreya halted her performance saying that people’s safety is the first priority and wished things get normal, reported Kalinga TV.

The programme was later resumed after the police brought the situation under control.

The situation turned chaotic when a large number of people surged towards the stage as Ghoshal appeared for her live performance, reported PTI quoting District administration officials.

Speaking to PTI, Commissioner of Police S Dev Datta Singh said that there was no such unpleasant situation.

"It is true that there was a huge crowd, but we managed it properly. One person sustained a minor injury and is stable.”

Senior police officers, including Singh—who was monitoring the event from the control room—reached the spot to assess the situation and restore normalcy. Using public address systems, the police appealed to attendees to remain calm and maintain order.

The incident occurred despite the deployment of 70 platoons—around 2,100 personnel—for law and order and crowd management at the Bali Jatra.

On November 1, at least nine people – eight women and a boy – were killed and many others injured after a stampede which occurred at Venkateswara Swamy temple in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. At least seven of the dead are in the age group of 35-40.

In September, at least 41 people died and 60 others were injured during a stampede at the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally led by Vijay claimed injured in Velusamypuram, Karur.

Earlier in June, three people lost their lives and 50 others suffered injuries due to stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri during a ceremony related to the Rath Yatra festivities.