As per eyewitnesses, some people had climbed on the iron rods holding up the marquee, causing the structure to collapse. The injured were admitted to Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, BJP leaders said.

A day after at least 90 people were injured when a makeshift tent collapsed at the venue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in West Bengal’s Midnapore town, a high-level team of Special Protection Group (SPG) will visit the state to examine any lapses. The Centre had sought a report from the state government on the incident.

As per eyewitnesses, some people had climbed on the iron rods holding up the marquee, causing the structure to collapse. The injured were admitted to Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, BJP leaders said.

Medical superintendent Tanmay Kumar Panja had said 90 people were brought to the hospital after the incident. While 14 were discharged after first-aid, at least 76 people, including 20 women, are still undergoing treatment at the hospital.

After addressing the rally, the Prime Minister, accompanied by state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh, went to the hospital and spoke to some of the injured.

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha had said the poles of the tent fell as the ground was wet after rain. Also, many people climbed atop the tent, he added. Sinha said police and local security personnel should not have allowed supporters to climb atop the tent.

The venue for the rally could hold around 70,000 people, but on Monday, the crowd had exceeded its capacity. “It happened all of a sudden. As the structure collapsed, I was hit by a rod and fell on the ground. People ran over me and I lost consciousness,” 55-year-old Swarno Mahato said.

Now in hospital, Mahato said she had come with other women of her village to hear the Prime Minister speak. “We never expected this to happen. Since there were no ambulances on the ground, we requested someone to take my mother-in-law to the hospital on a bike,” said Sumitra, Mahato’s daughter-in-law.

The ruling TMC expressed concern over the incident. “We pray for their early recovery. All assistance and help will be provided to them,”.