Ceiling chunk falls inside booth in Durgapur East, woman voter injured; major mishap narrowly averted
The Statesman | 23 April 2026
A sudden accident on polling day caused panic at a booth in the Durgapur East Assembly constituency after a portion of the ceiling collapsed, injuring a woman voter.
The incident took place on Thursday morning at Booth No. 230, located at Kuldihi Primary School. According to reports, the voter, identified as Tumpa Hazra, had arrived at the polling station to cast her vote and was waiting in line when a section of the ceiling suddenly broke off and fell on her.
She sustained injuries and was immediately rescued by those present and taken to a private nursing home in Bidhannagar, Durgapur, for treatment.
Although the incident triggered brief panic at the booth, polling was not significantly affected, administrative sources said. The situation was quickly brought under control, and voting resumed its normal course.
Some residents have alleged that poor maintenance of the building, which was being used as a polling station, led to the incident. However, officials stated that the matter is under investigation and necessary steps will be taken.