Stampede in Navy hiring rally, four injured

Around four participants were injured in a stampede outside INS Hamla during a Navy recruitment drive held at Malad in Mumbai; (inset) Mukesh Birhade, who injured his leg. (Photo: Mrugesh Bandiwadekar)

Mukesh Birhade (19) was one of the 6,000 candidates who turned up at the Indian Navy base INS Hamla in Mumbai for a recruitment rally. Birhade had come all the way from Jalgaon, which around 300 kilometers away from Mumbai. He had reached Mumbai on Thursday night to ensure that he does not get late for the recruitment rally which was to start as early as 5am on Friday. However, all his efforts almost turned into a nightmare when he was caught in a stampede.

Around four candidates, including Brihade, sustained injuries in the stampede. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries to any of them. “Around 5 am, they told us to arrange ourselves in a queue but some were in an extreme hurry so they started running here and there. In the process a few who were not strong lost their control and fell on ground. One boy was slammed against a wall and started bleeding, while a glass piece that was lying on road, pierced my leg and I started bleeding,” Mr Birhade said.

Mr Birhade had come to Mumbai along with four of his friends on Thursday night and had slept on the ground opposite the base along with other candidates.

The examinees, who were in the age category of 19 to 21, had arrived to participate in a special recruitment drive for various posts meant for senior secondary recruits (SSR) conducted by the Navy. According to naval sources, the Navy had expected around 4,000 examinees for the test but instead around 6,000 turned up at INS Hamla.

Participants included youths from remote parts of Maharashtra. All the candidates who had gathered on Thursday night at INS Hamla were asked to stay in the empty ground that is located opposite the naval base. Around 5 am on Friday, navy officials instructed the candidates to assemble in a queue to get inside the naval base.

“The moment candidates heard the announcement they started running here and there to get early position in the queue and due to the same a few fell down on ground and two to four candidates got injured,” said a navy source.