Sixteen people, 14 women of them women, were killed in a stampede during a religious ceremony attended by tens of thousands of devotees on the banks of the Ganges river on Tuesday.
Sixteen people, 14 women of them women, were killed in a stampede during a religious ceremony attended by tens of thousands of devotees near the famous ‘Har Ki Pauri’ ghat on the banks of the Ganges river on Tuesday.
At least 32 others were also injured in the stampede that broke out when people tried to enter the ‘yajnashala’ (place of sacred fire ceremony) at Chandidweep ghat for the birth centenary celebrations of Acharya Pandit Shriram Sharma.
The Acharya, a saint-scholar-philosopher, was the founder of Shantikunj ashram and also the founder father of the ‘Akhil Vishwa Gayatri Pariwar’ which has a huge following.
SDM Harbir Singh said, “It appears that suffocation in the area led to the stampede but exact cause will only come out after an inquiry.” Most of the dead were reported to be aged.
District magistrate Senthil Pandian ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.
Eyewitnesses said the stampede in this holy town occurred around 10.30 am when a few people tripped while those behind continued to push forward after tens of thousands devotees had gathered to proceed to the fireplace at the ashram to make offerings. The devotees were climbing stairs to cross a mini bridge ahead of the venue for the religious ceremony ‘Gayatri Mahayagya’, a male survivor said.
The situation went out of control and people ran helter-skelter with women and children falling on the ground.
Uttrakhand chief minister BC Khanduri visited the mishap site and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each of the victims. A compensation of an identical amount was also announced by Shantikunj Ashram.
District authorities ordered the organisers of the celebrations to call off the five-day event which was due to end on Thursday. The organisers agreed to end the celebrations on Wednesday after a prayer meeting. Police sources said nearly two lakh people from home and abroad had gathered for the ceremony, which is considered to be biggest after the Kumbh mela.
Himachal Pradesh CM Prem Kumar Dhumal was also holding ‘yajna’ at the ashram when the stampede broke out.
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