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At least 12 pilgrims were crushed to death and 16 injured in the biggest tragedy at Mata Vaishno Devi Temple. A crowd surge let to a stampede around 2:15 A.M. near gate 3. A scuffle between two groups of pilgrims led to this tragedy.The officials tried to maintain the order and the pilgrimage was resumed again after four hours.
Rescue teams took the injured to hospitals. Nine of them at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspecialty Hospital, Kakryal, were discharged during the day, while the rest are undergoing treatment and their condition is said to be stable.
The identity of four people was not discovered till the report of their deaths was filed.
“The deceased were identified as Dheeraj Kumar, 26, of Nowshera in J&K’s Rajouri; Sheweta Singh, 35, of Ghaziabad, UP; Delhi residents Vinay Kumar and Sonu Pandey, both 24; Mamta, 38, of Jhajjar, Haryana; Dharamvir Singh, 35, of Saharanpur, UP; Vaneet Singh, 38, also of Saharanpur; and Arun Pratap of Gorakhpur, UP,” said a spokesperson of the Shrine's board. Two bodies have been sent by air, nine by road and one will be airlifted to their native places.
The Lt. Governor of J&K has announced an immediate ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to families of the dead and Rs 2 lakh to the injured, said the spokesperson. The costs of their treatments will also be borne by the board.
The Lt. Governor, who also acts as the chair of the board has ordered an inquiry into this stampede. Officials have said that it occurred due to a huge rush of devotees entering and exiting from a narrow gate this lead to a suffocating crush due to this. According to eyewitnesses, several men and women fell and people walked over them to escape.
Pilgrims are allowed in a file inside the cave and there’s a constant flow to avoid overcrowding. ”But people probably stayed a bit too long at the temple, crowding the space. As more pilgrims entered, the place got congested and there was a rush to get out. That chaos soon turned into tragedy,” said an eye witness.