The Hindu : Front Page : 11 killed in Gujarat temple stampede

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Monday, Oct 15, 2007
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11 killed in Gujarat temple stampede

Manas Dasgupta

The crowded scene at Pavagadh temple, where 11 people were killed in a stampede, on Sunday.

AHMEDABAD: Eleven people were killed and at least 30 injured, eight of them seriously, in a stampede on the Pavagadh hills, about 50 km from Vadodara in the Panchamahals district of central Gujarat, on Sunday.

Among the deceased were five women and four children. The injured have been admitted to the Halol referral hospital, where the condition of eight was stated to be serious. Three of the critically injured were later shifted to the Vadodara civil hospital.

The stampede was reportedly caused by an unprecedented rush of devotees for a “darshan” of the famous Mahakali temple atop the hill due to the on-going “Navratri” festivals. The State government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.

Eyewitness accounts said heavy rush of the people on “Patia Pool,” a narrow bridge connecting Machhi, the base station for the Pavagadh hills, and Tarapur Darwaja, caused the stampede.

According to District Collector Millind Todwane, over five lakh devotees had turned up for darshan at the Mahakali temple, as against the normal two lakh. He claimed that the district administration anticipated the additional rush on Sunday, it being the only Sunday in the current Navratri festivals. But the turnout was much more than expected.

The Mahakali temple also has ropeway trolleys, but a majority of the devotees prefer to walk up the hill, leading to congestion.

The eyewitness accounts also claimed that the police control system to regulate the rush was missing on Sunday, at least for sometime when the stampede took place.

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