Folk singer Biswanath Sarkar, who was injured after a makeshift gate erected in the government-run Dhono Dhanyo auditorium complex in Alipore crashed on Wednesday, has suffered a fracture in his spinal cord.

Asit Baran Sardar, also a singer, has suffered a fracture in the hip, senior doctors at SSKM Hospital said on Thursday.

A team of doctors from the orthopaedic, neuro-surgery, medicine and chest departments examined the two at the hospital’s Trauma Care Centre on Thursday.

The makeshift gate crashed minutes before chief minister Mamata Banerjee was to arrive for a programme on Wednesday afternoon to mark the death anniversary of former superstar Uttam Kumar.

“Sarkar has a fracture on his spine, possibly T12, and his right malleolus bone (bony bump inside the ankle) has suffered a fracture as well. He has complaints of pain on the right side of his hip and scalp,” said a doctor. “A CT scan of his brain and chest has revealed no abnormalities.”

Police said the injured men, both in their 50s, were enrolled with the state government as folk singers and were entitled to a monthly stipend of ₹1,000.

Sardar, originally from the Diamond Harbour sub-division in South 24-Parganas, lives in Patuli, in Calcutta. Sarkar is from Joynagar in Baruipur, South 24-Parganas.

“Sardar has a small fracture in his hip and a suspected fracture in the metatarsal bone of his right leg. He had complaints of pain on the scalp but a CT scan revealed no injuries there,” the doctor said.

“Both patients are stable otherwise. They are being given a liquid diet.”

Senior officials at SSKM said a team of neuro-surgeons would decide on whether Sarkar would require immediate surgery in his spine.

“Sarkar’s nerve conduction is fine and he can move his hands and legs,” the doctor said.”The blood pressure of both patients is stable.”

The police said they were collecting information about the contractor who was engaged to erect the makeshift gate.

“We are collecting details of the contractor from the information and cultural affairs department and trying to find out whether he had followed the laid down rules for erecting a makeshift structure for the chief minister’s programme,” said a senior officer.

Immediately after the crash, other makeshift gates and overhead masts were removed from the venue in Alipore.