Temple stampede: Death toll rises to 109

14102013

Temple stampede: Death toll rises to 109, over 100 injured

At least 109 people were killed and over 100 injured on Sunday in a stampede during Navratri festivities near a temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Datia district triggered by rumours that a river bridge the devotees were crossing was about to collapse.

The state government ordered a judicial inquiry into the mishap which was a shocking re-run of the tragedy at the same site in 2006 when 50 pilgrims were washed away. Datia district’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) R S Gupta said autopsies on 109 bodies were conducted till late tonight. Police earlier said that 89 people, including 31 women and 17 children, were killed in the mishap. “89 people were killed in the stampede on the bridge over Sindh river leading to the temple at Ratangarh, where lakhs of devotees had congregated, following rumours by some unidentified persons that it was collapsing,” Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Chambal Range, D K Arya said. Arya while noting that the death toll could go up said over 100 people were also injured.  The festivities turned into a tragedy as the devotees from Datia and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh thronged the Durga temple to offer prayers on the occasion of Navratri at Ratangarh, about 60 km from district headquarters here and around 320 km away from the state capital Bhopal. Unconfirmed reports said that the stampede took place as some people were trying to jump the queue and police used batons to control them.  Arya said nearly 100 people have been injured in the mishap and they have been rushed to nearby hospitals. Heart-rending scenes were witnessed as anxious relatives searched for their loved ones from the large number of bodies that lay on the bridge.  The irate crowd, protesting over the incident, pelted stones and clashed with the cops following which police used mild lathicharge to disperse them. Amid the chaos, police and local volunteers had a tough time to bring the situation under control.  A sub divisional police officer suffered serious injuries after being hit by stones, the DIG said, adding that some other policemen were also injured.The situation has been brought under control, Arya said.  The state government, with the approval of the State Election Commission in poll-bound MP, has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh to the kins of those killed in the stampede.  The government also announced an assistance of Rs 50,000 each to the seriously injured and Rs 25,000 each for those who suffered minor injuries in the mishap.  Sonia Gandhi expresses shock, anguish over MP temple mishap  Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday expressed “shock and deep anguish” over the death of more than 64 devotees in a stampede at a temple in Madhya Pradesh. “Gandhi has expressed shock and deep anguish over the tragic incident in Ratangarh in Datia District of Madhya Pradesh,” an AICC statement quoting the Congress President said. She extended her condolences to the families who have lost their kin and expressed the hope that the injured are being attended to suitably.  At least 64 people killed and scores of others injured in the stampede near the Durga temple at Ratangarh in Madhya Pradesh’s Datia district where a large number of devotees had gathered for the Navratri festivities.  The mishap was apparently caused by rumours that a bridge the people were crossing was about to collapse. A statement issued by Congress said Sonia Gandhi has been continuously monitoring the developments in wake of the cyclone. “The Congress party and the government have been and will be doing every thing possible to stand up to any eventuality and every emergent situation” Gandhi said. Six coloums of Army from Ranchi to Bhubaneshwar and four coloums from Vishakapatnam to districts in Andhra Pradeash have been dispatched and put into action as part of relief and rescue efforts.  In addition, one engineering team of the Army is on the stand by for any eventuality. NDRF teams comprising trained and professional disaster management personnel have been working in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal respectively. The Telecommunication Department has provided 18 satellite phones to Odisha, 16 to Andhra pradesh and 10 to NDRF for communication purposes. The Cabinet Secretary has been in continuous touch with the Chief secretaries of Odisha and Andhra pradesh with a view to coordinating and assisting relief and reconnaissance efforts.