Locals said that around 2,000 people had gathered near the vaccination center in Jalpaiguri.
Kolkata:
On the day West Bengal vaccinated a record 11 lakh people against COVID-19, a stampede broke out at a vaccination center in Jalpaiguri district, leaving around 20 people injured. Locals said around 30 were injured, while police put the figure at 20 and said that five of the injured were being treated at a hospital for serious injuries.
The incident took place at a school being used as a vaccination center in Dhupguri block of Jalpaiguri in north Bengal. Since morning, hundreds of people from nearby villages and tea gardens thronged the gates.
Witnesses said around 2,000 people had gathered near the center and there was hardly any police station in the area.
When the police finally arrived at 10 a.m. and opened the gate, the crowd ran, ran and pushed each other – many women with children and elderly people fell to the ground in the chaos. A police officer was also injured while trying to help the people.
The situation was brought under control after a large team of police officers was sent to the spot. Local people also rushed to help in taking the injured to the hospital.
Jalpaiguri Superintendent of Police Deborshi Dutta said around 20 people were injured, but 15 were released after first aid and five were admitted to hospital. However, locals claimed that around 30 people were injured and eight were admitted to different hospitals.
An inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
The Bengal government has decided to distribute door-to-door covid vaccination coupons with date and time slot to each individual so that stampede-like situation does not recur in Jalpaiguri.
In a hurried meeting called this evening, the Chief Secretary asked the District Magistrates, Superintendents of Police and the Chief Medical Officers of Health of each district to coordinate and micro-manage the vaccination centers.
Asha workers and health workers will go door-to-door to distribute coupons for vaccination. Each coupon will have a date and a time slot.
Director of Health Services, Bengal Dr Ajay Chakraborty said the police have been asked to keep a watch on the crowd at all vaccination centres.
Meanwhile, the health department said today that it has vaccinated the highest number of people in a day – 10,99,437 till 7 pm. Officials said that by the end of the day this figure could cross 12 lakhs.
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