Stampede at Mata Vaishno Devi in J&K Updates: 7 pilgrims from UP, 3 from Delhi among 12 dead
New Delhi, Jan 01: Seven pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh and three from Delhi were among the 12 people who died in a stampede at Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. A three-member panel has been set up to probe the stampede and has been asked to submit its report to the Jammu and Kashmir government within a week.
Seven pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh and three from Delhi were among the 12 people who died in a stampede at Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Saturday, officials said. A three-member panel has been set up to probe the stampede and has been asked to submit its report to the Jammu and Kashmir government within a week.
The National Conference (NC) on Saturday expressed grief over the stampede at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and sought a thorough inquiry into the incident in which at least 12 people were killed. The party also demanded that the administration ensure the best medical treatment for the injured.
The Saturday stampede that killed 12 people occurred “due to a scuffle between two groups of pilgrims”, the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said in a statement, emphasising only 35,000 pilgrims were allowed to proceed for the yatra against the normal capacity of 50,000 in view of the pandemic.
Attributing the death of 12 pilgrims in a stampede at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine to the “grave negligence” of the administration, the Congress party on Saturday demanded a Rs 50 lakh compensation to families of those killed and Rs 10 lakh to the injured in the “tragic” incident.
Bodies of Deceased to be Dispatched to their home town with Full Respect
"We are dispatching the bodies of the deceased to their home town with full respect. Two bodies have already been dispatched to Haryana and Nowshera in Rajouri district (J&K). Two more bodies were also sent off to Delhi," divisional commissioner said.
On the reasons that led to the stampede, Langer said the L-G has ordered a high-level probe. "The committee has started its work and will share the details as the probe progresses," he said. Langer said the administration and the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board have released helpline numbers to facilitate family members of visiting pilgrims who wanted to get in touch with their dear ones.
"The (Vaishno Devi) Yatra has resumed (after the stampede) and is going on smoothly," the divisional commissioner told reporters at Katra as the committee visited the town to begin its probe. On complaints of mismanagement and violation of COVID-19 guidelines, the officer said the Yatra is in progress with strict adherence to the SOPs.
Vaishno Devi pilgrimage going on smoothly with strict adherence to SOPs: Official
The Vaishno Devi pilgrimage is going on smoothly with strict adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), including COVID-19 guidelines, despite a stampede that claimed 12 lives and left over a dozen injured, a senior government official said on Saturday.
Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Raghav Langer said bodies of four victims of the stampede were dispatched to their native places, while the process to send the rest of the bodies was in progress. Langer, along with Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Mukesh Singh, visited Katra – the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine – to take stock of the situation.
Vaishno Devi Stampede: Survivors Speak
Rani Devi of Bihar's Muzaffarpur said they were fortunate to have escaped death. "I saw many people dead on the floor and was heartbroken," she said, blaming it on the "uncontrolled rush" of pilgrims at the bhawan. Aditya Sharma, another devotee, said some people who were sleeping on the floor got crushed in the stampede.
Following the incident, many pilgrims were seen leaving Katra, the base camp for the shrine, without paying obeisance. "We are from Pathankot. We returned from the bhawan without 'darshan' due to the stampede," said Rekha, who was accompanied by five other family members, including three children. Prem Singh, from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, said there was a complete mess as neither was the number of pilgrims restricted nor were COVID-19 guidelines in force.
"It was a free-for-all-like situation. Many people were without mandatory face masks," he said, claiming that police personnel on duty at the X-ray checking point surrendered to the heavy rush and were warning people about the possibility of such an accident. However, many people were seen waiting in long queues to visit the shrine as the pilgrimage continued unaffected. "We have been waiting for five hours but nothing is moving," said Navdeep of Karnal in Haryana.
Vaishno Devi Stampede: Survivors Speak
"A similar situation had happened minutes earlier but luckily none was hurt and the situation was controlled. We were part of a group of 10 devotees – all neighbours. A heavy rush triggered the stampede as people were going in and out, and every one was in a hurry," he said. Many people were resting on the floor, instead of heading back, and it caused more rush at the bhawan, he added.
Another man, who lost his friend, Arun Pratab Singh (30), said they had come from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. The bhawan was overcrowded, he added. "I had visited the shrine about 10 years ago but was surprised by the heavy rush this time. After the tragedy, we found ourselves helpless and got no help till 6 am," he alleged.
Rani Devi of Bihar's Muzaffarpur said they were fortunate to have escaped death. "I saw many people dead on the floor and was heartbroken," she said, blaming it on the "uncontrolled rush" of pilgrims at the bhawan. Aditya Sharma, another devotee, said some people who were sleeping on the floor got crushed in the stampede.
Vaishno Devi stampede: Survivors blame 'mismanagement'
A sudden rush of devotees at the Vaishno Devi shrine here to mark the beginning of the New Year triggered the stampede that resulted in the death of 12 people, some of the survivors said, blaming "mismanagement" for the tragedy. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, however, denied the charge, saying all necessary arrangements were made in view of the expected rush, while Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh blamed a minor altercation for the “unfortunate” incident.
"Nothing but mismanagement was the cause for this tragic accident. They were aware about the possible rush but allowed the people in unhindered," a pilgrim from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh said while waiting outside a mortuary to identify a dead body. The man, who did not wish to be named, said this situation could have been avoided if the authorities concerned had managed the pilgrimage better.
Patients' Condition are Stable: Jitendra Singh
People who got admitted here are stable. We may add some technical solutions for the yatra. Earlier people use to visit the shrine during festivals, nowadays youngsters want to visit shrine on 1st day of the year: PM Modi is monitoring the situation: Union Minister Jitendra Singh
J&K DGP Dilbagh Singh reaches Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital
J&K DGP Dilbagh Singh reaches Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital where injured people were admitted following stampede incident in Katra
J&K DGP Dilbagh Singh reaches Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital where injured people were admitted following stampede incident in Katra pic.twitter.com/cjOtv8bqHC
— ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2022
Eight of the deceased Are identified
Eight of the deceased were identified as Arun Pratab Singh (30), Dharam Veer Singh (35), Vineet Kumar (38) and Shamta Singh (35) of Uttar Pradesh, Vinay Kumar (24) and Sonu Panday (24) of Delhi, Mamta (38) of Haryana and Desraj Kumar (26) of Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, the officials said, adding the identities of the rest are yet to be ascertained.
Incident Occurred around 2.15 am
At around 2:15 am, an unfortunate stampede happened near gate no. 3 at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan. Rescue & evacuation operations were immediately launched by the Shrine Board authorities, District Admin & Police: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board
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