At least six people have died and dozens of devotees injured in a stampede at the Mansa Devi temple in the holy city of Haridwar in Uttarakhand on Sunday morning.
The stampede occurred on the staircases on the temple road leading to the main temple after rumors of electricity current, causing panic among the devotees.
Garhwali Division Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said, “ A huge crowd had gathered at the Mansa Devi temple before the stampede, the dead have been identified as Aarush (12), Vivek (18), Wakeel, and Shanti from Uttar Pradesh; Vipin Saini (18), from Uttarakhand; and Shakal Dev (18), from Bihar”.
“The main cause behind the stampede appears to be panic triggered by rumours about an electric current,” Pramendra Singh Dobal, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Haridwar, said.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “The Uttarakhand Police’s State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the local police are engaged in relief operations.”
“A stampede broke out at the Mansa Devi temple in the morning because of a rumour…We have ordered a magisterial probe into the incident and those responsible for spreading the rumors will face strict action,” Dhami told reporters.
President Droupadi Murmu called it “deeply painful”. She extended condolences to the grieving families and prayed for their recovery.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended condolences to the victims’ families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
The Uttarakhand government has announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the families of victims and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Uttarakhand Police helpline numbers: (+91) 94111 12973, 9520625934
(With inputs from PTI)
