In one of worst tragedies of its kind in India, 197 people died, mostly men, and several people were injured in a stampede that took place when thousands of devotees gathered at a 15th century temple in Jodhpur on the occasion of Navaratri festival on Tuesday. The worshippers had gathered at the Chamunda Devi Temple situated on a hill top in the precincts of Mehrangarh Fort when the tragedy struck at around 5.30 am after some devotees slipped on a slope causing the stampede.
The injured are being treated in various hospitals, Rajasthan's Principal Secretary (Home) S N Thanvi said. "As some devotees slipped on the slope on the temple path, others gathered there started falling on each other causing the stampede. A majority of those killed died due to suffocation as a result of the stampede," he said in Jaipur.
168 bodies have been identified so far.Director General of Police (DGP), Rajasthan, K S Bains, said that nearly 100 people were injured in the incident. According to reports, there is shortage of oxygen in hospitals.
Officials said most of the dead were men as the stampede took place in the separate queue for males for going to the temple.
The dead include a large number of young people, officials said. Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said, “Sufficient police deployment had been ensured and there were separate queues for men and women. But there was a huge rush in the queue for men and some people slipped on a slope which led to the stampede.”
The civil authorities have sought the help of the Army to deal with the situation, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Kanhaiya Lal said.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has ordered an inquiry into the Chamunda Devi temple stampede and announced a compensation of Rs two lakh each for the next of the kin of those killed. Raje, who visited the spot in the precincts of Mehrangarh fort, said the probe will be carried out by an officer in the rank of additional chief secretary.She said Rs 50,000 will be paid to the injured. Congress leader and former Rajasthan chief minister, Ashok Gehlot, who also went to the stampede site, demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
Officials said that the stampede occurred as the devotees along the 2-km-long route to the temple tried to rush towards its door as soon as it opened. The situation went out of control as devotees, carrying offerings, jostled with each other and tried to rush towards the temple door breaking the barricades.
Inspector General of Police, Jodhpur, Rajiv Dasod said some of the devotees slipped on the 75-metre-long slope on the temple path causing the stampede in the 100-metre zone around it."There has been no casualty in the queue for women in which a large number of children were also present," he added.
A few eyewitness to the incident told police that a side wall of the temple had also collapsed due to pressure from the large number of devotees.
Chamunda Devi Temple is the "Kul Devi" of the former Maharajah of Jodhpur, Gaj Singh, and is run by a private trust.
No comments:
Post a Comment