T20 World Cup victory parade: Fans faint, kids lost, traffic halts in Mumbai

MUMBAI: Traffic in south Mumbai came to a standstill on Thursday evening as swarming crowds of cricket fans congregated at Marine Drive and Wankhede Stadium to participate in Team India’s victory parade.
Amid the celebrations, though, several fans collapsed due to the humidity and some suffered minor injuries, even as around a dozen children got separated from their families.The children were soon found by cops and taken to Marine Drive police station; there was adequate police bandobast in south Mumbai.

Police took down the children’s names and details. Soon, some parents started rushing into the police station for help and were relieved to find their children there. Police also tried to contact families of a few other children whose parents could not be located.
Meanwhile, according to Dr Jitendra Sankpal, medical superintendent at state-run GT Hospital near CSMT, nine people have been admitted with various complaints ranging from dizziness to minor wounds.
One pregnant woman was admitted to Cama Hospital after she fell. There were reports of some revellers going to state-run St George’s, Nair and Bombay hospitals for medical attention too.
Police sources said they also helped those who fainted by clearing the area around them to ensure they got fresh air. Some women in the crowd posted about concerns of a stampede.
The massive celebration threw vehicular traffic out of gear. Besides Marine Drive, roads in the vicinity such as Maharshi Karve Road, Madame Cama Road and Shahid Bhagat Singh Road also witnessed congestion. Snarls were also witnessed at Mahapalika Marg and DN Road, CSMT.
Earlier in the day, chief minister Eknath Shinde had instructed Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar over phone that the police and related agencies should take ancillary measures so that the traffic is not disrupted.
“Cricket fans assembled at Marine Drive and Wankhede stadium should not be inconvenienced,” Shinde said.