Anxious parents and relatives huddled outside the emergency ward, police personnel trying to calm down flared tempers while cordoning off the area and several relatives breaking down in sheer shock and anguish were some of the scenes witnessed on Thursday at Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital here where victims of the stampede at the government school in Khajuri Khas were admitted.
Mohammad Babu, a resident of Sonia Vihar whose daughter Faheem was admitted to the hospital, said he had been waiting outside the emergency ward since 10a.m. but there was no news of his daughter’s condition till 2 p.m. though the hospital administration claimed that it was making regular announcements about the children’s condition through the public address system.
“My daughter, who studies in Class X, has been admitted here but I have no idea about her condition. We are not being allowed entry inside the hospital ward and no one is giving us any information either,” said Mr. Babu.
“She had gone to the school to take her exam. We came to know of the stampede through other students who escaped unhurt and came back to inform everyone else. No one from the school told us anything. Only girls are allowed to attend the school in the morning, but on Thursday some boys were allowed inside to take their exams and they tried to molest the girls forcing them to panic and flee resulting in a stampede.”
GTB Hospital acting Medical Superintendent Dr. O.P. Kalra confirmed that 33 students had been brought to the hospital of whom five were declared brought dead while 28 were admitted for treatment. Six otherts were reported to be critical.
“Over 20 doctors are attending to them. They have head, abdominal and cervical injuries as well as fractures but no external bleeding which is typical of a stampede situation, ” Dr. Kalra said.
“All the students are in a state of complete shock. After administering them treatment they were given biscuits and soft drinks to calm them down as they had not eaten anything since morning.”
Mayor Dr. Kanwar Sain also visited the hospital to check on the condition of the children.
