Temple stampede in Uttar Pradesh kills 63 people

[Al-zakir]

Temple stampede in Uttar Pradesh kills 63 people

Thu, Mar 4th, 2010 6:52 pm BdST


NEW DELHI, Mar 4 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - At least 63 people, more than half of them children, were killed in a stampede triggered by a massive rush for free food and clothes at a temple in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, police said.

Thousands of people had gathered at the old temple at Kunda village for free food and clothes being distributed by a monk, but panicked after a wooden gate collapsed.

"At least 37 among the dead are children and 26 of them are women," said Mahesh Mishra, a senior police officer.

Some people were crushed to death under the gate, while others tripped and came under the feet of the rushing crowd as they tried to escape through a narrow corridor. More than 200 people were injured.

"The children fell first and the women in their attempt to save them fell on them," said Shiv, a witness, who only gave his first name. "The crowd just trampled on whoever fell on the ground."

Local residents in Kunda helped police carry the injured to nearby hospitals, police said.

Witnesses said a handful of policemen found it difficult to control the crowd which wanted to enter the temple premises.

In the country, stampedes are relatively common at temples, where thousands of people gather to pray during festivals.

In 2008, at least 285 people died in two temple stampedes in northern India.


Temple stampede in Uttar Pradesh kills 63 people | | bdnews24.com

 

[ek_indian]

Sad incident. May all dead RIP.

 

[Spring Onion]

RIP.

It really is annoying that we people from sub-continent are shi.ty intolerent in everything and specially in such rituals want to get over the others.

Many people have died in such stampedes in Pakistan too

 

[Al-zakir]

More to do with hunger and free food. This happened because people are tring to get some free food. They need to be better organize to eleminate such incident.

 

[Spring Onion]

More to do with hunger and free food. This happened because people are tring to get some free food. They need to be better organize to eleminate such incident.

ohhhh.

i dint read the news. just saw the word stampede and as mostly happens in Pakistan at shrines people try to get over each other (although i failed to understand sometimes the shirk)

in case of India i think its the same they try to have glimps of idols of their gods (if i am not wrong) at some religious rituals.


In this case i dont know what was the cause

 

[Al-zakir]

In this case i dont know what was the cause

The report clearly indicate that people were rushing for free food. If there were no free food than there would not have been any rush thus no such incident would have occured. Perhaps they thought that free food would run out so first come first serve. It wasn't like they were rushing to get prasad ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prasad0[/url].

At least 63 people, more than half of them children, were killed in a stampede triggered by a massive rush for free food and clothes at a temple in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, police said.

 

[FlickerSingh]

The report clearly indicate that people were rushing for free food. If there were no free food than there would not have been any rush thus no such incident would have occured. Perhaps they thought that free food would run out so first come first serve. It wasn't like they were rushing to get prasad ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prasad0[/url].

all food handed out at a temple has to be offered to the Lord first and is therefor prasad. in that case they were rushing for prasad

 

[Al-zakir]

all food handed out at a temple has to be offered to the Lord first and is therefor prasad. in that case they were rushing for prasad

Where does it say prasad?

 

[Spring Onion]

all food handed out at a temple has to be offered to the Lord first and is therefor prasad. in that case they were rushing for prasad

Just for the information, isnt that mostly the prasad people give to the temple is taken by the pundit in most of the cases ??

 

[garibnawaz]

Just for the information, isnt that mostly the prasad people give to the temple is taken by the pundit in most of the cases ??

No.

Prasad is offered to lord/god/godess. A part of it is offered to Pundit and rest is returned to the peson who has offered the prasad to lord/god/godess.

The person then ditributes the prasad to whoever he wants.

However in big famous temples apart from individual prasad the temple trust also offers a common prasad for devotees.

GB

 

[garibnawaz]

More to do with hunger and free food. This happened because people are tring to get some free food. They need to be better organize to eleminate such incident.

One ladoo, a steel plate, twenty rupees and a handkerchief - this is what drew close to 15,000 people to an ashram in Pratapgarh on Thursday morning, 60 kilometres from Allahabad. They waited for hours, lining up, waiting for the ashram's gate to open.

As the crowd built, it began pressing upon the gate which came unhinged. Witnesses say a tent put up nearby also collapsed, adding to the panic. Within seconds, there was chaos.

Young children, too weak to hold their own in the surge, fell down and were trampled to death. Thirty-six of them. The other 27 who died immediately were women. Rajkumari, in a red sari, sobs as she explains "Four of my relatives are inside...but I have not been able to see anybody."

The function at the ashram is an annual ceremony organized by Kripalu Maharaj, a local swami, on his wife's death anniversary.

The police says that this year's turnout was larger than they had anticipated.

Staring at a mound of chappals, a stark symbol of the size of the tragedy, a police official admits, "Surely, it's a matter of negligence...they could have been better prepared, barricaded the place, deployed people. We are investigating the incident."

The state government has asked the Allahabad Commissoner to submit a report on the disaster within 24 hours.

At least 65 dead in stampede at UP ashram

GB

 

[Al-zakir]

Just for the information, isnt that mostly the prasad people give to the temple is taken by the pundit in most of the cases ??

Also note that prasad comes in very small portion. Like a piece of sweet or some other pastry.

 

[garibnawaz]

India's worst religious stampedes: Rediff.com News

GB

 

[garibnawaz]

Also note that prasad comes in very small portion. Like a piece of sweet or some other pastry.

No. Prasad can be anything.

Even an entire meal.

The prasad in this particular tragedy has been described above in my post.

It depends on your quantity of Prasad divided by number of people to whom you are going to distribute.

You devote 1000 bananas as prasad and want to distribute to 2000 people means half banana each.

You devote 1000 bananas as Prasad and ditribute to 500 people means 2 each.

It all depends what you take as prasad and how you distribute it.

GB

 

[third eye]

Where does it say prasad?

Post # 1 does not mention Prasad. It does however mention free clothes & food .

Possibly some philanthropist or orgnisation distributing this - they do this often.

Poor crowd control, wonder if the local police was informed to make bandbast in advance.