'Pushpa 2' premiere: Stampede leads to woman's death, 2 injured
What's the story
The premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule at Hyderabad's Sandhya Theatre on Wednesday night turned tragic as a woman died and two others were injured in a stampede.
The incident took place between 10:30-11:00pm reportedly sparked by the unexpected appearance of the film's star, Allu Arjun.
The deceased woman, identified as Revathi, was rushed to a private hospital after receiving CPR from police but succumbed to her injuries.
Injured son
'She was trying to safeguard her children when...'
An official hinted Revathi may have tried to shield her kids when she got stuck in the mob.
Her son, who was injured in the incident, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital and is said to be in critical condition.
The stampede broke out after fans outside Sandhya Theatre got wind of Arjun's arrival, resulting in chaos and panic.
Chaos ensued
Crowd control measures and broken gates
A huge crowd had started gathering outside the theater from 8:00pm and by the time Arjun arrived, the number had swelled.
The force of the crowd reportedly broke the theater gates. To control the situation, the police resorted to a lathi charge.
A police officer told The Hindu, "There was no information about their arrival until two hours before...People in large numbers gathered to catch a glimpse of him while he was leaving."
Film expectations
Arjun's hopes for 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' success
Despite the unfortunate incident, inside the theater, excitement was palpable as fans eagerly awaited the continuation of Pushpa Raj's saga.
At a promotional event in Mumbai earlier, Arjun expressed hopes that Pushpa 2: The Rule would achieve the same level of success as its predecessor.
He stated, "When Pushpa became a big hit... It is a proud moment for Telugu people... Now, it's my turn to make them proud on a national level and make Pushpa a success."