Chamunda Devi stampede
Date30 September 2008
Time05:30 IST[1]
LocationJodhpur, Rajasthan
 India
Casualties
224 dead
425+ injured
Human stampede, many suffered from asphyxiation as they were crushed to death[2]

A human stampede occurred on 30 September 2008, at the Chamunda Devi temple in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, in which 224 people were killed[3][4][5] and more than 425 injured.[6][7] The 15th-century temple is dedicated to the goddess Chamunda Devi[8] and is located within the premises of Mehrangarh Fort.[9]

About 25,000 Hindu pilgrims were visiting the temple to mark the first day of the nine-day-long Navratri, a major festival in Hinduism dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga.[6]

Cause

Chamunda Devi Temple, the location of the stampede

The devotees scrambled towards the door the moment it opened, resulting in the destruction of the barricades. Many people were injured when they lost their footing on the slope approaching the temple.[1]

According to The Times of India, local reports suggest that a bomb blast in nearby Mehrangarh created panic among the pilgrims resulting in the stampede.[1] However, the BBC News reported that a collapsing wall may have also caused the stampede.[10] Some eyewitnesses told CNN-IBN that a rumour about a bomb being planted in the temple caused panic among pilgrims.[11]

Others said there was a scramble in the men's queue; some devotees slipped and soon there was a massive resultant stampede where a day of celebration turned into one of mourning.[12]

An eyewitness also said that the path leading to the temple was very narrow with no emergency exit routes.[2]

Aftermath

Indian Army doctors were called to assist the local authorities in the relief operation.[13] Bharatiya Janata Party's Rajnath Singh assured speedy relief to the victims of the tragedy.[14] Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje visited the site and ordered inquiry into the incident.[15]

Local authorities revealed that most of the dead were men as the queue for women was separate.[16]

Reactions

Uttarakhand Chief Minister B C Khanduri and Governor B L Joshi both expressed grief over the death of the pilgrims at the Chamunda Devi temple. A Raj Bhavan statement issued a condolence message saying Joshi conveyed his deepest sorrow to the bereaved families of the dead and said he would pray for the speedy recovery of those injured in the incident. Khanduri followed too in expressing grief over the accident. He also directed District Magistrates of all the 13 districts of his state to make special arrangements at religious places as they are expected to attract large crowds during the Navratra period.[12]

Jodhpur Muslims decided to keep the Eid celebrations next day a low-key affair. Local Muslim youth joined rescue teams, ferried victims to hospitals and donated blood.[17][18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Dey, Anindo; Parmar, Ajay (30 September 2008). "179 dead in temple stampede in Jodhpur". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  2. ^ a b Crawford, Alex (30 September 2008). "Dozens Crushed in Deadly Stampede". Sky News. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  3. ^ ap.google.com, Death toll rises to 249 in Indian temple stampede Archived 3 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ India stampede death toll rises, BBC News (2 October 2008)
  5. ^ Death toll in Jodhpur temple stampede rises to 224, Hindustan Times Archived 2008-10-12 at the Wayback Machine (3 October 2008)
  6. ^ a b "At least 113 dead in India temple crush: official". Sydney Morning Herald. 30 September 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  7. ^ Emily Wax (The Washington Post) (1 October 2008). "Death toll rises to 168 in Indian stampede". New Delhi, India: The Boston Globe. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  8. ^ "Shrieks punctuate sombre atmosphere in Chamunda temple". NDTV. 30 September 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  9. ^ "Indian temple stampede death toll climbs". AFP via Canberra Times. 30 September 2008. Archived from the original on 3 October 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  10. ^ "Scores die in India temple crush". BBC. 30 September 2008. Archived from the original on 30 September 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  11. ^ "Death toll rises in temple stampede, 147 dead". CNN-IBN. 30 September 2008. Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  12. ^ a b "Uttarakhand CM, Governor express grief over stampede". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 30 September 2008. Archived from the original on 3 October 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2008.
  13. ^ "89 dead in India temple stampede: official". AFP via Google News. 30 September 2008. Archived from the original on 4 October 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  14. ^ "BJP's Rajnath Singh assures speedy relief to victims". The Times of India. 30 September 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  15. ^ "147 killed, 55 injured in Jodhpur temple stampede". The Indian Express. Jodhpur. Agencies. 30 September 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  16. ^ Blakely, Rhys (30 September 2008). "India temple stampede kills 177". The Times. London. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  17. ^ "Muslims decide to keep Id low-key affair". The Tribune. 1 October 2008. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Jodhpur Muslims help temple stampede victims". Hindustan Times. 2 October 2008. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.

External links

Crowd collapses and crushes
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