Panic broke out at Gandhi Maidan in Masaurhi, in Bihar's Patna district, as thousands of spectators rushed to leave the venue after the Ravan Dahan programme on Tuesday evening, leaving three women injured in a crowd surge, Patna Press reported.

According to Patna Press, the rush developed when a large number of spectators tried to leave the ground through the main gate at the same time after the effigy burning ended. Some spectators stumbled and an elderly woman fell amid the crowd. More than two dozen shoes and slippers were reportedly found scattered on the road after the incident, indicating the intensity of the movement.

Dr Ramanuj, the in-charge of the Masaurhi Primary Health Centre (PHC), told Patna Press that two of the injured women were brought to the PHC with minor injuries and had briefly lost consciousness; both were reported stable. The third injured woman was referred to the sub-divisional hospital for further treatment and was also reported stable, the report said. Local authorities helped manage the crowd and appealed to people not to spread rumours.

In a separate report, TrendKia put the crowd at an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people and quoted Masaurhi Sub-Divisional Police Officer Raghav Dayal as saying a three-tier security cordon and magistrates had been deployed at the venue. TrendKia reported four women injured, with one woman, Renu Devi, transferred to Patna Medical College Hospital in a serious condition and the other three discharged after first aid — a higher count and a different referral account than Patna Press reported. Awaaz Punjab is reporting both accounts with attribution; the hospitalised women's condition was described as stable in the Patna Press report.