Stampede at COVID vaccination centre in Bengal, 25 injured

Dhupguri, Aug 31: At least 25 people were injured in West Bengal''s Jalpaiguri district on Tuesday after hundreds of local residents tried to enter a vaccination centre together, leading to a stampede, police said.

Six of them were critically injured in the incident, and they are undergoing treatment at Jalpaiguri Sadar Hospital, a senior officer said.

"As soon as the main gate of Dhupguri Health Centre was opened, several people tried to get inside the facility pushing each other. A stampede-like situation arose there. Several women were injured. We are probing the matter," the officer said.

Locals claimed that hundreds of people queued outside the vaccination centre since morning and social distancing protocols went for a toss.

Asked about what led to the stampede, the officer said, "We are probing the matter. According to a preliminary investigation, those who were in the queue tried to enter the centre in the apprehension of a shortage of vaccine doses."

The inoculation programme at the facility has been stopped following the incident, he added.