A steady stream of people from adjoining areas in Tamil Nadu had begun to pour into the border town of Kumali since this morning in search of their near and dear ones within hours of the tragedy last night.
Heart-rending scenes were witnessed today at the Kumali government hospital where bodies of Sabarimala stampede victims were rushed for post- mortem, as helpless cries of frantic relatives searching for their kin rent the air.
A steady stream of people from adjoining areas in Tamil Nadu had begun to pour into the border town of Kumali since this morning in search of their near and dear ones within hours of the tragedy last night.
Most of the 102 victims were from the neighbouring states of Kerala, which is home to the revered Ayyappa shrine.
There were reports of some members belonging to a same batch of pilgrims dying in the stampede while others survived, only to return to their homes without their companions with whom they set out on the pilgrimage just a few days back.
Many found it difficult to hold back tears on looking at the cold, lifeless bodies of relatives or friends who had been with them on the sacred pilgrimage till a few hours back.
Others heaved a sigh of relief on knowing that their near and dear ones whom they were searching for in desperation had survived unscathed.
A mourning pilgrim from Karnataka said he was finding it tough to think of accompanying the body of a 23-year-old youth who had come with him.
"We did not think cruel fate is store for us till the moment it happened. We were rushing down through Pullumedu after having glimpses of 'Makarajyoti'(divine light) when it all happened", said 38-year-old Venkappa.
"Our group stood near a bridge and after seeing the 'jyoti', we stepped down. I felt like a rush initially...but did not think everthing was going beyond control," he told Press Trust of India.
They later had a rude shock when they came to know Hanumanth Gowda Patel, a 23-year old member of their group, succumbed to injuries.
A group from Tamil Nadu meanwhile was in a state of excitement of getting back one of its members-a nine-year old boy, who went missing since the time of tragedy.
The group members identified the child (young devotees are called 'Manikantas', the childhood name of Lord Ayyappa) from among the injured at the hospital.
Post-mortem of around 93 bodies had been completed by afternoon and police and hospital authorities were taking all steps to send dead bodies to their home towns without delay.
A total of 37 dead bodies, including those from Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, had already been sent to the respective destinations, hospital officials said.
Eighty-six doctors and 305 other health staff from various hospitals in Alappuzha, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Kottayam districts are attending to stampede victims here in Vandiperiyar.
Thirty one ambulances were deployed to bring the dead and injured ones from the spot and send them to their native places.
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