A promotional event at a clothing shop in Kanpur, India, spiraled into chaos when thousands of people descended on the store after its owner advertised an extraordinary deal: for just 16 minutes after midnight, any item in the store would cost only 16 rupees, equivalent to less than one shekel, or about 20 U.S. cents.
The promotion, launched to mark store owner Rais Alam's birthday, spread rapidly across Instagram, Facebook, and local social media platforms. By 11 p.m., crowds began gathering outside the shop in the Alam Market area, and within hours thousands had arrived, filling the street and creating severe traffic congestion.
As the density of the crowd became dangerous, store management closed the doors to prevent additional people from entering. This decision angered customers who demanded the promised sale be honored. Confrontation erupted, with the mass of people pushing and running. Several individuals fell and were injured in what local media described as a stampede-like situation.
Police from multiple stations in the area were called to the scene and had to use moderate force to disperse the crowd and restore order. According to police officer Mangai Singh, the massive turnout was driven by the sale advertised on social media.
Following the incident, police opened an investigation against store operators Mohammad Alam, Rais Alam, and Salman Alam, among others, on suspicion of disturbing public order and endangering public safety. Salman Alam has been arrested, while police continue searching for Rais and Mohammad Alam.
