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| 11 pilgrims killed, 15 hurt in Gujarat stampede | | | Panchmahals (Gujarat) | 14
At least 11 pilgrims were trampled to death and 15 injured on Sunday in a stampede on a narrow path leading to the famous Mahakali temple atop Pavagadh Hill on a day when an unprecedented six lakh devouts turned up.
The dead included four women, three boys and a girl. Three of the deceased belonged to the same family.
The stampede occured when the narrow path called 'Patia Pul' leading to the revered shrine suddenly became heavily crowded and unmanageable when thousands of pilgrims making their way to the temple and those returning after prayers were at the spot around the same time.
"The flow of devotees this time was unprecedented. We were expecting two lakh pilgrims but more than six lakh turned up," Superintendent of Police Dipankar Trivedi said.
"The stampede occured in a flash when devotees were coming down from the temple in large numbers. The temple route was, however, cleared swiftly," he stated.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and two of his Cabinet Ministers visited the spot. Modi announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the kin of the deceased and ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.
Modi later visited the injured at the referral hospital in Halol town. Three of the critically injured are being treated at the Vadodara referral hospital.
Pilgrims from across Gujarat and neighbouring states traverse by foot the one-km route to the revered temple, 150 km from Ahemdabad, during `Navratri' festival.
Most of the deceased and the injured belonged to Thasra region of Kheda district, officials said.
Meanwhile, Congress president Sonia Gandhi condoled the death of the pilgrims and asked state PCC Bharat Solanki president to visit the spot.
Gandhi also urged the Centre to assist the state government in handling the situation. |
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