President, PM condole death of Sabarimala pilgrims, toll reaches 102

New Delhi, Jan 15 (ANI): President Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condoled the death of Sabarimala pilgrims.

At least 102 people were killed and 60 injured in a stampede while returning from the Sabarimala shrine when a jeep crashed into the pilgrims at Pulmedu in Kerala's Idukki district.

At least 60 people have been injured, 15 of them seriously, in the worst tragedy that struck Sabarimala pilgrims in a decade.

Dr Singh sanctioned a relief of Rs one lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the stampede and Rs 50,000 to those injured from the Prime Minister's relief fund.

Defence Minister A K Antony has offered Kerala government all help from defence forces for rescue operations.

The Southern Naval Command dispatched an emergency medical team to the accident site at Sabarimala.

Most of the victims who perished were from Tamil Nadu, Andhdra Pradesh and Karnataka. They were returning home through the forest route after the Makarajyoti darshan, considered a celestial phenomenon, at the hillshrine of Lord Ayyappa.

The accident occured at a place that is seven km from the Sabarimala shrine. (ANI)