Ranchi: At least 11 people lost their lives and 50 others were injured when a stampede occurred at a temple in Jharkhand's Deogarh district early on Monday.
According to police, a woman was among those killed.
"Ten men and a woman died as the devotees tried to overtake each other at around 4 am," Amit Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Deogarh, said.
The stampede occurred near a Durga temple, known as Baidyanath Temple, at Belabagan More on Deogarh-Jassidih, about 350 kilometres from Ranchi, Civil Surgeon Diwakar Kamath said.
All the injured have been brought to the nearby Sadar hospital and are being treated, Kamath added.
According to police, more than 100,000 people were in a queue, many waiting since last night to get into the famous Baidyanath Temple, when the stampede occurred.
“Rumours of temple doors being opened spread in the morning. People started running skipping queues which led to the stampede,” said SN Pradhan, ADG, Law and Order.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said additional forces were being sent to the state for crowd control.
"There is a huge rush of devotees. They asked for additional forces. So I have told the Home Secretary to send Rapid Action Force there," Singh said.
BJP MP from Godda Nishikant Dubey said steps will taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
During Shravan month of the Hindu calendar, more than 30 lakh people offer prayers at the Baidyanath Temple. On Mondays, the number goes up substantially and around two lakh people offer prayers.
CM expresses grief
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has expressed grief over the death of 11 persons in the stampede at Deogarh.
The chief minister has issued directions for better treatment of the injured, an official statement said.
Home Secretary NN Pandey, Additional Director General of Police SN Pradhan and other officials have been supervising the rescue operation and treatment of more than 30 persons, the statement said.
Compensation announced
CM Das also announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of those killed in today's stampede.
The injured would be given Rs 50,000.
PM saddened
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief at the loss of lives in the temple stampede at Deogarh.
Modi spoke to CM Raghubar Das, who apprised the PM of the incident over phone.
PM Modi later tweeted:
Pained at loss of lives due to the stampede in Jharkhand. My thoughts & prayers are with the families of the deceased in this hour of grief
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 10, 2015
I pray that the injured recover quickly. I spoke to CM Raghubar Das ji on the incident.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 10, 2015
(With Agency inputs)
