Patna: At least 32 people, including women and children, died in a stampede Friday evening after the burning of the Ravana effigy at the Gandhi Maidan here, officials said.
[A woman takes an injured kid to hospital. (PTI Photo)]
"Thirty-two people including women and children died due to stampede after the 'Ravan vadh' and 18 people were seriously injured," Bihar Director General of Police P.K. Thakur told media persons here.
Additional Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey said that the cause of the stampede is not yet known. "It is a matter of investigation," Pandey told IANS over phone.
He however, downplayed allegations of mismanagement at the event in view of the huge crowd.
"This year, the arrangement was better than last time. But this unfortunate incident took place and it is to be investigated," he said.
Local police officers, however, said that some people tried to disperse as fast as possible after the end of the event, thus creating the problem.
Patna District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma said that authorities are trying to save the lives of all those seriously injured, who have been admitted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital.
The state government has announced compensation of Rs.3 lakh each to the kin of all the victims. It has also ordered a probe into the incident.
"The government has asked Home Secretary Amir Subhani and ADG Pandey to investigate into the incident, particularly the cause of the stampede," said an official in the chief minister's office.
Earlier, reports said that half a dozen people had fainted at the event due to over-crowding at the Gandhi Maidan.
However, the Durga Puja perriod which culminates with the Dussehra festival ended peacefully despite an intelligence alert of terrorists' threat in the state during the festival. "No reports of any untoward incidents during the festival across the state," said an officer at the police headquarters here.
Comments
| Quick linksNews
National
International
Regional
Politics
Education & Career
Business
Science & Technology
Health
Views & Analysis
The Funny Side
© 2012 Awaz Multimedia & Publications. All rights reserved.
Haj, one of the five pillars of Islam that every capable Muslim must perform at least once, begins with over pilgrims praying Arafat plain on Youm-ul-Arafa
Hundreds of .... More
Also Read: The Holy Kaaba adorned with new cover
In a spirited speech near the India Gate monument a short while later, Modi told a huge gathering that Indians had a responsibility to fulfill Gandhi's dream by ridding the country of dirt and filth by 2019, the 150th.... More
Also Read: 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' launched at AMU, MANU
India imports two-thirds of its electronics, mostly from China. So does much of the world, including the US. The most American of products, from the world's most valuable company, Apple, is famously designed in California, made in China..... More
The US based Sikh Foundation for Justice (SFJ) in coordination with the American Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee (AGPC), Tuesday held a Citizens' Court in Lafayette Park, a small park infront of the White House to indict PM Narendra Modi for the human rights violations in 2002 in Gujarat.. .... More
Also Read: Americans join as Kashmiris, Sikhs hold protest against Modi