Central team reaches Midnapore to probe tent collapse at PM's rally

A high-level central team is in Midnapore to assess the circumstances that led to the collapse of a makeshift marquee during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public rally on Monday, which left 90 people injured, official sources said.

The central team comprising Joint Secretary to home department, Anita Bhatnagar and two senior Special Protection Group officers S K Singh and M Siddhi arrived in the afternoon, they said.

The team will examine whether there was any lapse in the security measures, lack of coordination among different agencies and other shortcomings in organising the rally, a senior Union home ministry official said.

The sources said the central team met West Midnapore district magistrate, superintendent of police, health officials of the district as well as the superintendent of Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, where the injured were admitted.

The team held a marathon meeting and questioned the various district departmental chiefs individually, they said.

The Centre had yesterday sought a report from the West Bengal government on the incident.

District police sources said a high-level team led by