09-30-2008, 09:09 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>187 die in stampede </b>
Pioneer.com
Lokpal Sethi | Jodhpur
Craze for first darshan in Navratras leads to Jodhpur tragedy
In one of the worst tragedies in recent past, at least 187 persons died and hundreds were injured when a stampede broke out at Chamunda Devi temple here on Monday. The shrine is in the 15th-century Mehrangarh fort, situated on a hillock and overlooking this 'sun city' in western Rajasthan.Â
The stampede started around 5.30 am at the narrow, sloping approach way when hundreds of devotees tried to make a dash to be the first one to have 'darshan' of the presiding deity on the first day of Navratras. Over 10,000 devout were at the time trudging their way up the winding path, already made slippery by the breaking of coconuts along the way.
Eyewitnesses said some devotees at the end of the approach way started pushing those ahead of them and, in the melee, some people fell on the ground and were trampled. It created confusion and chaos among the devotees and over 187 persons were killed - mainly due to suffocation - in the resulting stampede. Most of the deaths took place along the 75-ft-long pathway near the temple as the fallen devotees were crushed by the panicky faithful.
According to Director General of Police (DGP) KS Bains, the power supply was suddenly impaired at the time and it aggravated the situation since it was still dark.
Most of the casualties were the youth who had started reaching the temple around midnight, which is situated at a height of 400 feet within the fort. The queue of devotees was already about two km long when it was time for the temple to open its doors.
The approach pathway leading to the temple is barely 5 feet wide. Even within that space, police had put up barricades to segregate the path for men and women and children. At the time of the tragedy, few women and fewer children had started for the temple since it was still very early. "That explains why a greater number of women and children were saved," said SN Thanvi, Principal Secretary (Home).
Though the local administration claimed that sufficient arrangements had been made and police personnel deployed to regulate the flow of devotees, witnesses said only a couple of policemen were present on the approach road when the stampede broke out.
But within no time, police personnel from various parts of the city were rushed to the spot to rescue the injured. Army was also called in to help the administration with relief and rescue operations. Since there were no stretchers, the rescue parties tore up a shamiana, which had been put up there to cover the pathway, and used its pieces as make-shift stretchers to shift the injured to hospitals.
The injured were brought to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital and Mathura Das Mathur Hospital. Doctors at these hospitals said that most of the people brought in were dead. They said that while some of the dead also suffered injuries in the confusion, most of them had died because of suffocation.
Later in the day, the local administration organised a mass cremation for those who died in the tragedy. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who had gone to Banswara, rushed to Jodhpur and met members of the bereaved families.
She also visited the hospitals where injured have been admitted. The Chief Minister has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the dead. The injured would get Rs 50,000 each. She also said that an inquiry into the incident would be held by Additional Chief Secretary Pramesh Chandra.
<b>Other temple mishaps</b>
August 10, 2008: Two pilgrims died when over 250 people were left stranded on stairs leading to ancient Mahadeva temple in Kota district of north-western Rajasthan collapsed
August 3, 2008: 162 people died and 47 injured in a stampede triggered by rumours of a rockslide at Naina Devi Temple in Himachal Pradesh
March 7, 2006: 28 killed and 101 injured in two bombings across Varanasi. First blast at a Varanasi temple followed by another at Varanasi Cant Railway Station
January 25, 2005: 340 devotees trampled to death during an annual pilgrimage at Mandhra Devi temple in Maharashtra
August 27, 2003: 39 pilgrims killed, 125 injured when faithful who were waiting to bathe surged over a flimsy fence triggering a stampede at Kumbh Mela bathing festival in Nasik, Maharashtra
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Why no proper arrangement? Why Indian Govt spend money for Haj not for Hindus in India?
Pioneer.com
Lokpal Sethi | Jodhpur
Craze for first darshan in Navratras leads to Jodhpur tragedy
In one of the worst tragedies in recent past, at least 187 persons died and hundreds were injured when a stampede broke out at Chamunda Devi temple here on Monday. The shrine is in the 15th-century Mehrangarh fort, situated on a hillock and overlooking this 'sun city' in western Rajasthan.Â
The stampede started around 5.30 am at the narrow, sloping approach way when hundreds of devotees tried to make a dash to be the first one to have 'darshan' of the presiding deity on the first day of Navratras. Over 10,000 devout were at the time trudging their way up the winding path, already made slippery by the breaking of coconuts along the way.
Eyewitnesses said some devotees at the end of the approach way started pushing those ahead of them and, in the melee, some people fell on the ground and were trampled. It created confusion and chaos among the devotees and over 187 persons were killed - mainly due to suffocation - in the resulting stampede. Most of the deaths took place along the 75-ft-long pathway near the temple as the fallen devotees were crushed by the panicky faithful.
According to Director General of Police (DGP) KS Bains, the power supply was suddenly impaired at the time and it aggravated the situation since it was still dark.
Most of the casualties were the youth who had started reaching the temple around midnight, which is situated at a height of 400 feet within the fort. The queue of devotees was already about two km long when it was time for the temple to open its doors.
The approach pathway leading to the temple is barely 5 feet wide. Even within that space, police had put up barricades to segregate the path for men and women and children. At the time of the tragedy, few women and fewer children had started for the temple since it was still very early. "That explains why a greater number of women and children were saved," said SN Thanvi, Principal Secretary (Home).
Though the local administration claimed that sufficient arrangements had been made and police personnel deployed to regulate the flow of devotees, witnesses said only a couple of policemen were present on the approach road when the stampede broke out.
But within no time, police personnel from various parts of the city were rushed to the spot to rescue the injured. Army was also called in to help the administration with relief and rescue operations. Since there were no stretchers, the rescue parties tore up a shamiana, which had been put up there to cover the pathway, and used its pieces as make-shift stretchers to shift the injured to hospitals.
The injured were brought to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital and Mathura Das Mathur Hospital. Doctors at these hospitals said that most of the people brought in were dead. They said that while some of the dead also suffered injuries in the confusion, most of them had died because of suffocation.
Later in the day, the local administration organised a mass cremation for those who died in the tragedy. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who had gone to Banswara, rushed to Jodhpur and met members of the bereaved families.
She also visited the hospitals where injured have been admitted. The Chief Minister has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the dead. The injured would get Rs 50,000 each. She also said that an inquiry into the incident would be held by Additional Chief Secretary Pramesh Chandra.
<b>Other temple mishaps</b>
August 10, 2008: Two pilgrims died when over 250 people were left stranded on stairs leading to ancient Mahadeva temple in Kota district of north-western Rajasthan collapsed
August 3, 2008: 162 people died and 47 injured in a stampede triggered by rumours of a rockslide at Naina Devi Temple in Himachal Pradesh
March 7, 2006: 28 killed and 101 injured in two bombings across Varanasi. First blast at a Varanasi temple followed by another at Varanasi Cant Railway Station
January 25, 2005: 340 devotees trampled to death during an annual pilgrimage at Mandhra Devi temple in Maharashtra
August 27, 2003: 39 pilgrims killed, 125 injured when faithful who were waiting to bathe surged over a flimsy fence triggering a stampede at Kumbh Mela bathing festival in Nasik, Maharashtra
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Why no proper arrangement? Why Indian Govt spend money for Haj not for Hindus in India?