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Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Indian Express
‘Not act of fate', Goa temple stampede that killed 6 result of lapses, ‘fractured accountability': Probe panel
A government-appointed committee that investigated the stampede at a temple in Goa on May 3 has concluded that the tragedy was 'entirely preventable' and stemmed from 'a combination of poor planning, lack of enforcement, ignored directives, and inadequate infrastructure'. Six people were killed and at least 100 were injured in the stampede that took place during the annual festival attended by thousands of devotees at Lairai Devi temple in North Goa's Shirgao village in the early hours of May 3. The Jatra, held in honour of Goddess Lairai Devi, is attended by thousands of special devotees, called 'Dhonds', who come from across Goa and neighbouring states. The committee report flagged institutional and procedural shortcomings by the organisers (the management committee of the Shree Lairai Saunsthan), the district administration, police and the local body (village panchayat). The 'absence of basic crowd control infrastructure, disregard for specific administrative instructions and failure to utilise modern surveillance tools' contributed to a critical breakdown in safety, the report said. It said the stampede was 'not an inevitable act of fate' beyond human control, but a 'preventable tragedy resulting from systemic oversights and fractured accountability'. The committee found that the stampede was precipitated by a 'confluence of preventable lapses and oversights among key stakeholders'. 'The immediate trigger was overcrowding on the sloped pathway between Tali (the holy pond) and Homkhand (fire pit), compounded by the sudden surge and forward movement of a group of Dhonds, disregarding the protocol, which caused the fall of a person and a subsequent domino effect,' the report said. 'However, this critical incident was precipitated by a chain of preventable failures arising from inadequate crowd risk assessment, absence of unidirectional circulation planning, non-implementation of safety directives, ambiguity in sectoral responsibilities, failure to utilise surveillance tools, unregulated roadside vending and the lack of pre-emptive crowd behaviour management,' it said. The report said the crowd was permitted to enter the sloped pathway from Tali in groups, 'which were subsequently channelled into a two-by-two queue formation after the end of the sloped gradient leading towards Homkhand. This arrangement resulted in a build-up of people on the sloped section, causing overcrowding in that area. The overcrowding, coupled with attempts by some groups of Dhonds to push forward through the crowd and their unruly behaviour, caused instability among devotees walking along the slope'. As a consequence, a person fell face-first on the sloped section, triggering a chain reaction in which several people behind and around her lost their balance and fell over one another. 'Owing to the downward slope, limited visibility and the push of the crowd and unruly behaviour, the people approaching from behind were unaware of the fall and continued moving forward, leading to the stampede,' the report said. The stampede 'could likely have been averted with proper planning, risk assessment, and the implementation of effective crowd management strategies', it said. Releasing the report in a press conference on Tuesday, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the tragic incident was an 'eye opener'. 'The fact-finding committee has pointed out shortcomings by several stakeholders — the temple committee, the district administration, district police, village panchayat and crowd behaviour, and it is everyone's collective responsibility. The police have filed a case against unknown people and that inquiry will continue. The government will take action based on the recommendations (of the committee) in the next few days,' he said. Sawant said that to avoid such incidents in future, crowd management plans will be outlined in advance, in accordance with norms of the disaster management authority, for all religious festivals. A statement from the office of the Chief Minister said show-cause notices have been issued to eight officers in connection with the inquiry. Notices were issued to former district magistrate, North Goa district; former SP, North Goa; former deputy collector and SDM, Bicholim; former DSP, Bicholim; former mamlatdar, Bicholim; former police inspector, Bicholim police station; former inspector, Mopa police station; and panchayat secretary, Shirgao.
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Goa stampede: Fact finding inquiry committee recommends dissolving the temple management committee
The Fact-Finding Inquiry Committee (FFIC), constituted to investigate the tragic Goa stampede that occurred early on the morning of May 3, 2025, during the Lairai Jatra festival in Shirgao, North Goa, recommended that the Goa government dissolve the Shree Lairai temple management committee. The report, made available on Tuesday (May 13, 2025), stated that the incident, which led to multiple deaths and injuries, was entirely preventable. 'The failure on the part of the organisers are concerned, inter alia, especially with respect to planning and safety, with not taking cognizance of some untoward incidents in the past, and more particularly with their wilful non-compliance with administrative safety directives; consequently, the Committee strongly recommends that the government should explore the possibility of dissolving the Temple Management Committee and appointing an Administrator, after following due process of law, if deemed appropriate,' the report stated. The Committee's investigation encompassed site visits, consultations with stakeholders, and a review of administrative records. 'The FFIC has concluded that the tragedy was entirely preventable and stemmed from a combination of poor planning, lack of enforcement, ignored directives, and inadequate infrastructure. The recommendations provided in this Report aim to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.' Based on field visits, interactions with eyewitnesses, injured victims, organisers, executive magistrates, police officials, and perusal of available records, the committee found that the stampede was precipitated by a confluence of preventable lapses and oversights among key stakeholders. The report stated, 'The Committee has found that the immediate cause of the stampede was overcrowding on the pathway from Tali to Homkhand, particularly at the upper end of the sloped section near the RBL Bank Branch, Shirgao, aggravated by the unruly behaviour of the Dhonds and lack of proper crowd control measures at that location. The crowd was permitted to enter the pathway from Tali in groups, which were subsequently channelled into a two-by-two queue formation beyond the sloped section leading towards Homkhand.' This arrangement resulted in a build-up of people on the sloped section, causing overcrowding in that area. The overcrowding, coupled with attempts by some groups of Dhonds to push forward through the crowd and their unruly behaviour, caused instability among devotees walking along the slope. As a result, it was given to understand that a person fell face-first on the sloped section, triggering a chain reaction in which several people behind and around her lost their balance and fell over each other. Owing to the downward slope, limited visibility, the push of the crowd, and unruly behaviour, people approaching from behind were unaware of the fall and continued moving forward, leading to the stampede, the report read. 'During the inquiry, some injured victims informed the Committee that a minor incident of a similar nature allegedly had occurred in the past, wherein, in one instance, one devotee's arm was critically injured on the day of the Homkhand,' the 26-page report said, adding that last year, a woman allegedly died due to suffocation at the sloped section of the pathway. 'However, the Committee did not find any record to substantiate such an incident. Notwithstanding the absence of official records, the Committee is of the view that key stakeholders, including the organisers, the district administration, and the district police, should have reviewed past occurrences and undertaken adequate precautionary measures to prevent such untoward incidents.' Several eyewitnesses and injured victims reported that some groups of Dhonds forcefully attempted to move from Tali towards Homkhand. 'The organisers were expected to carry out thorough capacity planning based on the location of key sites and the available access routes. Despite the existence of multiple alternative routes, the Committee found that the organisers failed to develop a multi-route circulation plan to avoid congestion along the primary pathway between Tali and Homkhand. No systematic assessment appears to have been undertaken using historical data, crowd arrival patterns, the festival's growing popularity, the year-by-year increase in the number of Dhonds, and the nature of the visitors, particularly for high-density events like the Homkhand ritual,' the report read. The committee stated it was imperative for organisers to conduct a comprehensive risk analysis and preparedness exercise and/or cooperate with authorities, incorporating their input in planning and execution. 'However, a review of the minutes of all pre-event meetings conducted by revenue and police officials revealed that the organisers did not provide critical information regarding the expected number of visitors, potential risks based on past incidents, or options for alternative circulation routes. On the contrary, the Committee found that the organisers appear to have disregarded specific instructions issued by the revenue and police authorities regarding crowd management, focusing instead solely on the conduct of religious activities,' the report said. The report further stated that the organisers neither demonstrated the intent nor undertook any concrete steps to prevent the proliferation of stalls, despite having been clearly informed by the police and revenue officials about the risks involved. 'The Committee found that the organisers were fully aware of this constraint and its potential consequences but wilfully failed to initiate preventive measures to mitigate the risk of an untoward incident.' The Committee observed that although permanent CCTV cameras had been installed within the temple precincts, the organisers did not extend surveillance to high-risk external areas. 'It is particularly concerning that no temporary CCTV cameras were arranged (on a rental basis or otherwise) at key locations such as Tali and the pathway leading to Homkhand, including the sloped section, which is well known for overcrowding and the haphazard movement of Dhonds.' 'This critical incident was precipitated by a chain of preventable failures arising from inadequate crowd risk assessment, absence of unidirectional circulation planning, non-implementation of safety directives, ambiguity in sectoral responsibilities, failure to utilise surveillance tools, unregulated roadside vending, and the lack of pre-emptive crowd behaviour management — all pointing to institutional and procedural shortcomings among the organisers, the district administration, the police, and the local body,' the committe observed. 'The Police arrangement order issued by the Superintendent of Police, North Goa District, dated April 29, 2025, refers to the installation of six watchtowers. However, during its interaction with the Police Inspector, Bicholim, the Committee learnt that the watchtower designated near the sloped section was not erected at all, and the two police constables assigned to that location were deployed at other points,' the report added. Although the Police had deployed a drone for surveillance purposes, the Committee found that it was not utilised during the aforementioned critical period. The reasons for this could not be established at this time, the committee stated. The State government has issued Show Cause Notices to eight former officials from North Goa District administration, the local police department, and Shirgao panchayat.
Indian Express
03-05-2025
- Indian Express
How a series of failures led to the deadly stampede at Goa's Lairai Devi temple
A crowd of more than 1.5 lakh people, a scuffle between two groups of dhonds (devotees of Lairai Devi), inadequate queue and crowd control by the authorities, a narrow stretch on a steep incline leading to the temple, and rumours flying thick and fast – eyewitness accounts and a prima facie police probe have painted a grim picture of the circumstances which led to a stampede at the annual pilgrimage festival (Jatra) at Lairai Devi temple in North Goa's Shirgao village early Saturday morning. Six persons were killed and more than 70 injured in the stampede. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the stampede that took place around 2.45 am during the annual jatra (festival) at Lairai Devi temple in Shirgao village. While DGP Alok Kumar said a rumour is suspected to have caused the stampede, Sawant said at a press conference, 'Precautions were taken but there was one bottleneck. The jatra happens every year, but this kind of incident is taking place for the first time. I am not saying this incident was instigated, but even if unknowingly, there was a provocation that led to this incident, they too will be punished.' While police said adequate measures were taken for the festival, which is attended by thousands of devotees including those from neighbouring states, eyewitnesses blamed the stampede on crowd mismanagement. Urvesh Kauthankar, a 'Dhond' or devotee of Goddess Lairai Devi, said, 'It was a tragedy waiting to happen.' A screengrab from a video shot at the time the stampede took place (left) and the aftermath of the disaster caught later (right) (PTI photos) Kauthankar, whose aunt was among those dead, said, 'Police and district administration failed to manage the crowd. After taking a dip in the village pond, the devotees proceeded to a narrow road stretch (about 400 metres long), which has a very steep slope, leading to the temple. Police had put a rope to separate the queues of Dhonds and the public on both sides of the road. But the Dhonds created multiple queues. There was a lot of pushing and shoving. A scuffle broke out between the two Dhond groups and since the incline of that road is steep, people fell over each other and were crushed.' 'It was all over in a few minutes. There was chaos and panic as people tried to rush from the narrow road,' he said. Dismissing allegations that the rope caused people to trip leading to a stampede, Chief Minister Sawant said, 'The jatra is for everybody and everyone has a responsibility to maintain decorum. The rope that they say is responsible was being held by police and wasn't the cause of tripping. The Dhonds were supposed to walk within the rope, but some came from the outside and tried to enter the queue.' DGP Kumar said, 'The incident occurred around 2.45 am, maybe because of a rumour. The cause is being investigated. Around 150 to 200 people fell during the stampede. Immediately, police and volunteers conducted a rescue operation and shifted the injured to the hospital. Around 1,000 police personnel were deployed here yesterday (Friday).' Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant visits Goa Medical College, where those injured in the Shrigao stampede are undergoing treatment, in Panaji on Saturday. (ANI Photo) The festival includes a fire-walking ritual [Agnidivya] during which the Dhonds circle a fire pit and walk barefoot across burning embers. The ritual draws large crowds. Eyewitnesses said that around 2.30 am, a huge crowd of devotees made their way to the temple to offer prayers and Agnidivya. 'The topography of the road is such that a rope cannot hold back a very large crowd. The temple committee has allowed many temporary stalls selling food items, toys and souvenirs on both the sides of the road, which further restricts movement. Last year, a woman had died in a minor incident during the jatra. Over the years, the crowd has swelled to lakhs,' said Ramdas Kauthankar, an eyewitness who had come from Thivim for the festival. 'During jatra, the sentiments are heightened and religious fervour is high. The Dhonds are fasting for days and often there is a competition to race ahead. In such a situation, if someone falls, they cannot get up. And this is what happened,' said Kauthankar. 'The police personnel and ambulances were stationed quite a few metres apart, which delayed aid to the injured. Police should have released the crowd in phases. There was no crowd management.' Sujay Halarnkar, a resident of Sircaim, who suffered a fracture in ribs, was among the devotees undergoing treatment at Goa Medical College. 'In the chaos, as he was running, he noticed a minor girl behind him. As he tried to save her, he was trampled upon,' said his sister Sukanti Sadashiv Chodankar. Dinanath Gaonkar, president of the temple committee, said, 'Over 50,000 to 70,000 Dhonds were here at the jatra. People in the crowd were pushing each other to get ahead. One of the Dhonds was holding a bamboo cane stick [beth], which touched an electric cable and broke a bulb. There were some sparks, which led to a scuffle and this caused the stampede.' Police identified the dead as Aditya Kauthankar (16), Tanuja Kauthankar (51) and Yeshwant Kerkar (33), all from Thivim; Surya Nayekar (62) from Sattari; Pratibha Kalangutkar (54) from Corlim; and Sagar Nandadurgi (31) from Pilgaon. The Goa government also constituted a fact-finding committee, chaired by commissioner-cum-secretary (revenue) Sandeep Jacques. The fact-finding committee was directed to visit the site and submit its report within 48 hours. Chief Minister Sawant said, who visited the hospitals where the injured are undergoing treatment, said, 'This is the first such instance in Goa in recent memory and it should not happen again. Once the report is out, its recommendations will be pursued in all seriousness. What shouldn't have happened, has happened.' Sawant announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for families of those who died. 'Those who have suffered serious injuries will be given Rs 1 lakh each. We have already registered an FIR against unknown persons for causing a stampede,' he said. The government also transferred North Goa Collector Sneha Gitte, SP (North) Akshat Kaushal, Deputy SP (Bicholim) Jivba Dalvi, Deputy Collector (Bicholim) Bhimnath Khorjuvekar, and Police Inspector Dinesh Gadekar. State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said 74 people were admitted to various government facilities, out of which 22 remain hospitalised. Health department officials said five of the injured were critical.
Mint
03-05-2025
- Mint
What led to stampede at Goa's Lairai Devi temple? Six people killed; collector, SP shunted out – 5 points to know
Goa temple stampede: In a tragic turn of events, at least six people died, and over 70 others were injured after a stampede at wee hours of Saturday, May 3 in Shirgaon village in North Goa's Bicholim, during the annual Lairai Jatra procession at Shree Lairai Devi temple. Hours after the incident, the state government ordered the transfer of five senior officials, including the North Goa collector and the superintendent of police. Here are the key updates from the Goa temple stampede that has caught national attention. The stampede occurred around 3 am on Saturday at the Sree Lairai Devi temple in Shirgaon village, which is roughly 40 km from Panaji. The chaos broke out when thousands of devotees packed into the narrow lanes leading to the temple for the annual festival, overwhelming the area and triggering panic. Lairai Devi temple President, Dinanath Gaonkar, hinted that chaos ensued after one devotee touched a light bulb with his cane stick, got an electric shock, and fell onto others nearby, according to a news agency ANI report. 'People in the crowd were pushing each other to get ahead in the crowd... Many of us villagers tried to stop them and resolve the issue. But these people were just not ready to listen to us. During this, some people went to a shop here, during which one person's beth (cane stick) touched a bulb, and he suffered an electric shock. He fell on other people, and that's how the stampede started,' ANI quoted Gaonkar as saying. Six persons including two women were killed and more than 70 sustained injuries after the stampede. Five of them were on ventilator support, while the remaining were in a specially-created emergency ward at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC). Among the injured, ten patients are reported to be in critical condition and are under observation at Goa Medical College near Panaji. (PTI) Approximately 50,000 to 70,000 devotees, or Dhonds (followers of Lairai Devi goddess) had gathered for the procession, Lairai Devi temple President told PTI. Director General of Police Alok Kumar, said that the devotees were standing on a slope, and 50 people fell on it, confining the stampede to that spot. Earlier in the day, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said a magisterial inquiry will be instituted to investigate the incident. The Goa government transferred District Collector Sneha Gitte, Superintendent of Police (North) Akshat Kaushal, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Bicholim) Jivba Dalvi, Deputy Collector (Bicholim) Bhimnath Khorjuvekar and Police Inspector Dinesh Gadekar with immediate effect, hours after the stampede. First Published: 3 May 2025, 07:41 PM IST
Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Stampede in north Goa temple kills 6, injures 70 during annual festival
Panaji: At least six people were killed and 70 others injured in a stampede on Friday night during an annual temple pilgrimage festival, Jatra, at Lairai Devi temple in north Goa's Shirgao village, state officials said. Jatra, held in honour of Sri Lairai Devi, is attended by thousands of devotees known as Dhonds, who circle a fire pit (homkhund) and walk over the burning hot coals. The event also draws lakhs of devotees and onlookers who gather to witness the spectators. 'Deeply saddened by the tragic stampede at the Lairai Zatra in Shirgaon this morning. I visited the hospital to meet the injured and have assured all possible support to the affected families. I am personally monitoring the situation to ensure that every necessary measure is being taken,' Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said on X, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi have taken a 'detailed stock of the situation, offering his full support during this difficult time.' Sawant visited the Asilo district hospital in north Goa and the Bicholim primary health centre to meet with the injured. Among the injured, ten patients are reported to be in critical condition and are under observation at Goa Medical College near Panaji. Health minister Vishwajit Rane said that additional doctors have been deployed, and a dedicated intensive care unit has been set up to provide focused care. The stampede took place around 3 am, a police officer said, requesting anonymity. He added, 'There is a steep incline to approach the temple. A huge crowd of devotees had gathered on that narrow stretch to offer prayers. The circumstances are not yet clear, but it appears that one person fell on that slope, which then led to a stampede.' Earlier, the Goa Police had said that the 'highest-ever deployment of police personnel had been made to maintain law and order and to ensure the smooth conduct of the annual zatra at Shirgao, Bicholim.' To ensure the smooth flow of traffic and proper parking of vehicles on Friday, traffic police along with 'one deputy superintendent of police, 14 police inspectors, 28 police sub-inspectors, 16 assistant sub-inspectors, 50 head constables, 310 police constables and 65 lady police constables from north Goa district police have been deployed for effective crowd control, safe and smooth passage to the devotees. Besides, three male platoons and two female platoons of IRBn and 50 police constables from Goa reserve police force have been deployed for Jatra bandobast,' police superintendent (north Goa) Akshat Kaushal, had said on Friday. 'Aerial drones have been placed for covering the Ariel view of Jatra/Festival and to maintain surveillance on the movements of the crowd. Vajra Van (riot control vehicle) is also stationed at the venue of Jatra. Plain cloth Police staff have also been deployed to keep check on the activities of criminals/anti-social elements and to prevent and detect crime like pick pocketing, eve teasing etc. Proper coordination is maintained with the managing committee of the Devasthan,' Kaushal had said.
