South Asia News
Death toll in Indian temple stampede mounts to 145 (2nd Roundup)
Aug 3, 2008, 16:30 GMT
New Delhi - At least 145 Hindu worshippers were killed and 48 injured in a stampede at a shrine in India's northern state of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, officials said.
The stampede occurred at the Naina Devi temple dedicated to the goddess Durga, located atop a hill in Bilaspur district, some 320 kilometres north of the national capital New Delhi.
'Our teams confirm that 145 people are dead in the stampede,' senior police official RN Dhoke told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa by telephone.
'The bodies of the victims were brought to the Civil Hospital in Anandpur Sahib in neighbouring Punjab state'.
Dhoke did not expect the death toll to rise.
Himachal Additional Director General of Police Daljit Singh Manhas earlier said the victims included 40 children and 45 women.
'The death toll could go up as a few more wounded could have succumbed to injuries on the way to local hospitals,' Manhas said.
Authorities said rumours of a landslide and boulders rolling down the hill caused the stampede.
'The rumours created a commotion and led to the stampede as devotees on the way to the temple tried to push their way, causing a collapse of the fencing,' state principal secretary PC Kapoor said.
'This panic caused a rush between crowds returning from the temple and those going up to the shrine. People started running here and there.'
He said the death toll was high because panic-stricken people ran in the narrow and congested stairway, trampling children, women, the old and the infirm.
Tens of thousands of people have been gathering at the temple for the 10-day Sharavan Ashtami fair that began Saturday, which is considered auspicious by the Hindus.
As many as 25,000 people may have been at the temple among the most popular shrines in north India for the festivities, local media said.
Some survivors recounted the horror they witnessed on the hill slopes.
'Devotees returning from the temple ran into pilgrims coming up. Then people tried to outpace each other to find an escape and tried to jump over the fences,' a witness told news channels.
'Coming under immense human pressure the fences gave way and people fell down the slope. Several women and children, who could not jump the railings and remained on the path, were trampled upon,' he said.
The path leading to the temple wore a tragic look as the bodies of children, women and men lay in slush, some of them clutching offerings for the deity.
Some sweaters and shawls, carried by the pilgrims, and their other belongings lay strewn on the path leading to and out of the temple.
Crying and distraught people frantically searched the pile of bodies to locate their missing relatives.
Heavy rains and lack of coordination amongst the agencies had hampered rescue operations and evacuation of the injured, officials said.
Meanwhile, Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal ordered an inquiry into whether adequate safety provisions were in place at the temple.
He also offered compensation to those injured in the stampede and to the families of those killed.
But locals said that lack of security arrangements around the temple led to the temple.
'The administration did not deploy sufficient police force even as the devotees numberd in thousands,' Likhi Ram told the IANS. Others said that the administration were not prepared for the heavy rush.
Temple stampedes are not uncommon in India, where huge crowds gather to pray on auspicious days at complexes where the approach roads and entrances are usually narrow.
There have been at least three fatal stampedes in the country so far during 2008, claiming over 21 lives in Hindu temples in the southern, central and eastern states.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
this is the typical response. Convinient and complete amnesia for other inhuman and barbaric atrocities committed by Pakistan and in general Muslim terrorists who afterallwere brainwashed. by Quraan to consider all nonbelievers as infidels and must be destroyed without mercy. It is time for rational muslims to rethink and purge and reform their religion and sincerely apologize to the rest of the world so that you can coexist with others.
Those who ran over the little children and women were definitely the ones, who wanted their afterlife to be salvated! Who will teach these blind believers that they must correct their 'This World' deeds to be in a position to be paid up after they die.
My sympathy is with those who suffered, and suggestion to authorities, that they should take control of the situation before the contingencies happen- not after the things are ruined completely.
this is a tragedy for the dead and the people who caused it.
they should take a close look at who they are worshiping.
Folks,
let's get real. These are primitive people, living in a primitive society governed by corrupt, violent people. Look at the country - it is filthy. Yet these people run over to temples and worship wierd gods with elephant heads and other concotions of man-animal and also worship animals. This is the 21st century. Monkeys, cows and snakes are not gods.
This festival is 9 days. Add up all the other crazy festivals and your get more than 365 days of primitive Hindu festivals. This is one screwed up country.
add to this people like Modi, Thackeray, Advani + rampant casteism and you get Muslims being butchered periodically. The Hindus now are raping and killing Christians as if Muslims were not enough. They now have a ludicrous anti-conversion laws.
This country's democracy is a joke. It is worse than China for ordinary people. There is no rule of law.
Then there are communal laws. India is a bigger version of Pakistan except the bad guys are primarily Hindus now.
But one must take a look at his/her religeon more critically! I realize we should not post such messages at this time, but the trgedy also makes one look at things more logically.
Why so many gods? Do they have a god over them?
How about Permishawar?
Who made these gods, isn't it more realistic not to worship these man made gods?
Have you heard of Jesus?
No need to abuse others, but time to think logically!!
I agree, we must think over whom we worship, and why? Is He the Creator or a creation himself. A good example is Jesus sone of Mary! SOME PEOPLE WORSHIP HIM, simply because he had no known father, and his few unfaithful discipels presented him as god. BUT WAS HE? Did he create our planet earth? NO
Did he create this universe? NO
Even the god holy Bible presents, did not know what light was, before he made it!
He created the man but did not know the needs of man, nor did he know that man needs a woman to have children!
Why not try to turn to One Who is the Master, Creator, Manager of this vast universe? That is God Almighty!!
the existence of god is the ultimate truth for us human beings.. The word God is influenced to describe power that is unimaginable for humans to gain. Even scientist today argued on Darwin's theory of evolution. It is too complex for a living matter, especially homo sapiens, to evolve by themselves..
People that still worship 'man made statues' must open up their minds and think logically. gotta be more logical on just putting the word GOD on some statues.. they should understand the concept 'God' and His existence. they shud read more books based on platos or aristole views about life..
I am shock to read that 80 children are dead may god bless their families I can’t imagine what is going with their parents now its high time that Govt should think on the polices of India every life is important in this world in it own unique way Govt must bring good polices and spend some money on studying how they can improve the safety at temples and mass people gatherings instead of spending on parties for cash-for-vote their are many good consultant in India who can provide good services to improve the situation in these temples stumped common in India at least they should try and make situation better and still Govt is not bothered of such situations only media can bend Govt now but they don’t because they won’t get the booty from 1200 cr. congress as declared for election campaign in coming election but for now this situation can be changed in India one by Govt and second by Media but unfortunately both are not with people of India
dang...if muslims aren't bombing or using kids for human shields...the hindus are running over them....damn Bulls have more sense..this part of the world is messed up....time for a massive flood and wash this dirt from the earth.
Dont misuse the word muslims and enhancing it with the word bombings and relating it with children bombing themselves.. those people are extremist..they dont have the right to call themselves muslims.. If they know better, its againts their religion as muslims to do such a thing.
so dont stereotype.
page: 1
MaritaAug 3rd, 2008 - 17:09:35
I suppose Pakistan is to be blamed for this tragedy as well!!
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