One dies as carnival bull goes on the rampage

SNS, RAIGANJ, 8 OCTOBER 2022 : One Sadhan Karmakar, 67, died and seven other persons, including three women, were injured when a bull broke loose from a bullock cart and attacked them on NS Road during the Durga Puja Carnival in Raiganj in North Dinajpur district last evening.

The injured arc undergoing treatment in the Raiganj Medical College and Hospital, where District Magistrate Arvind Kumar Meena and other administrative officials met them this morning and inquired about their health.

The carnival organised by the district administration began on NS Road in Raiganj around 7 pm yesterday, with participation of 14 puja committees.

"At around 9.30 pm, a puja committee presented their idols on three bullock carts. A bull suddenly broke loose as it may have feared the crowd and barged into a huge gathering of people who were watching the procession. Eight persons were seriously injured in the bull attack, even as people started running helter-skelter and away from the bull. Several people were injured in the melee," a witness said today.

"Sadhan Karrmakar, a resident of Bandar village in Raiganj, sustained serious head injuries and he was taken to the Raiganj Medical College & Hospital immediately, where he succumbed to his injuries late in the night," a source said.

According to the daughter of the deceased, Julie Karmakar, her father died due to  inadequate security arrangements during the carnival. 

"We want justice for the death of my father," she said today.

According to DM, Mr Meena, adequate security measures had been put in  place for the road show.

"It was an unfortunate accident. We express condolences to the affected families,"  he said.

 BJP MP of Raiganj Debashree Choudhuri, meanwhile, alleged that security arrangements for the public during the carnival were inadequate.

"The security issues were totally overlooked. The road was too narrow to hold such a carnival with such huge gathering of people. Very few police officers, along with some civic volunteers, failed to control the mob. There was total failure on the part of the police, which led to the disastrous incident. We will ask the central government to provide financial assistance to the victim families," Miss Choudhuri said.