Stampede at Cuttack reported for IND vs ENG 2nd ODI tickets

Stampede-like scenes happened in Cuttack when a sea of people gathered for tickets for the IND vs ENG 2nd ODI.

Police had to resort to using water guns to disperse the crowd in Cuttack, where crazy cricket fans gathered in large numbers for the IND vs. ENG 2nd ODI tickets. Due to the situation, many people fell ill near Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Thousands of people jostled for the offline tickets of India vs. England’s 2nd ODI, which is set to take place on Sunday, February 9.

Police used water guns to disburse the crowd.

A stampede-like situation occurred outside the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack as thousands of people jostled for the offline tickets of India vs England’s 2nd ODI to happen on February 9. Police had to resort to using water guns to disburse the crowd. Eager cricket fans in large numbers gathered on Tuesday night, and when the sale of offline tickets began at 9 am on Wednesday, chaos reigned supreme. The online sale for the match started on February 2, and the offline ticket sale was set to happen on February 5 and 6. Hence, people started queuing up from the early hours of Wednesday.

Falling short of making proper arrangements.

According to multiple local media reports, the Odisha Cricket Association failed to make proper arrangements. The ODI against England is Cuttack’s first international match in nearly three years. According to Odisha TV, “Irate locals blamed the administration for insufficient facilities for the people. The widespread chaos was attributed to poor exit management, which resulted in crowd control issues. After repeated complaints, police had to cut down the bamboo barricades to create an emergency exit.” A fan said that 4-5 people fell ill and had to be hospitalised because they felt uneasy, saying, “We are requesting them for water, but there is no drinking water provision here. At least four persons had to be hospitalised, but they are not providing drinking water.” The main issue was the lack of proper entry and exit points, which created chaos among fans.

Cuttack DCP Jagmohan Meena said in a statement, “We’ve sped up the ticket sale so people can exit faster. We aim to clear the area within half an hour. I ask everyone to remain patient, as many have been queuing since midnight. We have also requested a water supply for those waiting in line.”