8 dead, 28 injured in stampede at Haridwar's Mansa Devi temple
Diksha (26) and her daughter Akankshi (4) from Rampur; Phoolmati (52), Lucknow; and Kavita (23), Baghpat, UP, are said to be in critical condition. Officials at AIIMS Rishikesh said that 15 persons were brought to the hospital, out of which, five were discharged, four admitted in ICU ward and six in other wards.
More than 5,000 devotees -- mainly from UP and Bihar -- were present on the route around 8:30 am at the time of the incident, which was possibly triggered by "rumours of electrical wires causing electrocution".
Videos from the spot showed a huge rush of people, including children and women, at the narrow entrance of the temple. Eyewitnesses claimed there were hardly any efforts made to control the crowd.
Speaking to TOI, the area's SHO Ritesh Shah said the crowd flow was "nothing unusual" in the morning. "We've seen even larger crowds during special occasions like kanwar yatra and Ganga Dussehra. The stampede may have been caused due to rumours after a few youngsters climbed the wall, and thereafter some devotees began to panic and fell on each other.
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On any given day, six police personnel are present inside the temple premises and two stationed at the entrance of the pedestrian route.
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CM Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the hospital to assess the condition of the injured and announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those dead and Rs 50,000 for each injured person. He also directed Haridwar district magistrate (DM) to provide urgent relief and assistance to all the victims and their families.
"The pedestrian route, starting from the Upper Road, was immediately closed after the incident to avoid additional pressure at the site. Injured persons were initially shifted to district hospital. People died of chest injuries and no one died of electrocution," said DM Mayur Dixit.
The DM added that a detailed magisterial probe has been ordered.
President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi were among those who expressed grief over the loss of lives in the stampede.
In a post, the PM stated: "Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon."
Later in the day, Mahant Ravindra Puri, president of Mansa Devi temple trust, announced Rs 5 lakh for the families of the dead and Rs 1 lakh for the injured.
Considered a 'sidhpeeth', Mansa Devi temple is situated on the Bilva hilltop in Haridwar. It is accessible by ropeway as well as pedestrian route. It attracts a large number of pilgrims round the year.
Earlier, the way to the temple -- located in the vicinity of Haridwar range of Rajaji Tiger Reserve -- was arduous, and pilgrims had to walk through narrow serpentine paths to the hilltop (about 1,500 feet above sea level) on foot, but later a road was laid to make the journey easier. In 1995, Haridwar civic body got a ropeway installed.
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