A massive crowd gathered at Shivneri Fort in Pune district on the occasion of Shivaji Jayanti, triggering a stampede that left several people, including women and young children, injured.

People carrying the ceremonial Shiv Jyot from across the state, workers of various organisations and devotees arriving for darshan led to the fort being packed since Wednesday night. The heavy turnout resulted in overcrowding at key access points within the historic site.

With inadequate police deployment to manage the surge, the situation turned tense for some time. At narrow entry and exit points such as the Hathi Darwaza and Ganesh Darwaza below the Amberkhana, a large number of people began moving forward simultaneously, triggering the stampede.

Amid the chaos, several visitors were hurt. All the injured were immediately shifted to the government hospital in Junnar, where they are currently undergoing treatment.

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Published By:

Sayan Ganguly

Published On:

Feb 19, 2026