NEW DELHI/JODHPUR: At least 180 people died and over 350 injured yesterday morning at a stampede triggered by rumors of a bomb blast in a temple in a 15th century fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
The disaster occurred just as the doors of the temple were being opened at dawn for more than 12,000 people celebrating the key Hindu festival of Navratri. Many deaths and injuries resulted during the rush to escape, officials said.
Describing the incident as “unfortunate,” Rajasthan government’s spokesperson Rajendra Rathore said: “A wall collapsed near the entry gate and rumors of a bomb explosion followed causing the stampede.” But witnesses said that the stampede was sparked by the high-handedness of officials who tried to stop people from entering the temple in order to make way for a VIP. In the push and pull that followed, some devotees slipped on the 75-meter slope on the narrow temple path. This caused the stampede.
Television footage from after the stampede showed dozens of bodies lying on the sidewalk, while nearby, frantic people tried to revive unconscious devotees by slapping their faces and pressing on their chests. Others dragged people by their arms and legs, running down a ramp that leads to the temple inside the massive Mehrangarh Fort that overlooks the town. One child sat on the ground next to the body of a woman, rubbing her forehead and crying “mother, mother.”
The tragic incident, described as among the worst in Rajasthan, has raised questions on whether there were any security lapses. The famous Chamunda Devi temple is situated in a private property and run by a trust and not the state government, Rathore said.
“The security arrangements were made by the trust — both outside and inside the temple premises,” he said. Sufficient police deployment had been ensured and there were separate queues for men and women, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said.
“A majority of those killed died due to suffocation,” according to Rajasthan Principal Secretary (Home) S.N. Thanvi.
India President Pratibha Patil offered her condolences to the bereaved families. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed shock and grief over the incident.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje visited the site and ordered an inquiry into the stampede. She announced a compensation of Rs. 200,000 to the next of kin of those killed and Rs.50,000 to the injured.
— With input from agencies
