Deoghar/New Delhi: At least 11 people, including a woman, were killed and 50 others injured in a temple stampede in Jharkhand's Deogarh district early on Monday, police said.
"Ten men and a woman died as the devotees tried to overtake each other around 4 am," Deputy Commissioner of police, Deogarh Amit Kumar said.
Reportedly, thousands of people tried to force their way into the temple when gates were opened early in the morning.
The incident took place near a Durga temple at Belabagan More on Deogarh-Jassidih, about 350 kilometres from Ranchi, Civil Surgeon Diwakar Kamath said.
All the injured are being treated at a nearby hospital, Kamath said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief and spoke to Chief Minister Raghubar Das about the incident.
"Pained at loss of lives due to the stampede in Jharkhand. My thoughts & prayers are with the families of the deceased in this hour of grief," the PM said on twitter.
"I pray that the injured recover quickly. I spoke to CM Raghubar Das ji on the incident," he said.
Das apprised Modi of the incident over phone, an official statement said in Ranchi.
Pained at loss of lives due to the stampede in Jharkhand. My thoughts & prayers are with the families of the deceased in this hour of grief
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 10, 2015I pray that the injured recover quickly. I spoke to CM Raghubar Das ji on the incident.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 10, 2015Das expressed grief at the death of 11 persons. The chief minister issued directions for better treatment of the injured, an official statement said here.
Home Secretary N N Pandey, Additional Director General of Police S N Pradhan and other officials have been supervising the rescue operation and treatment of more than 30 persons, the statement said.
The incident occurred around 4 am while the devotees tried to overtake each other, according to Deogarh district Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar.
Das announced compensation of Rs two lakh to the kin of those killed and the injured would be given Rs 50,000, an official statement said here.
Today is the second Monday of the auspicious Shrawan month when thousands of devotees visited Degoarh to offer prayers after fetching water from Bihar’s Sultanpur, about 108 from Deogarh.
Jharkhand Labour and Employment Minister Raj Paliwal reached Sadar hospital where the injured were being treated. "Compensation would be announced for the kin of the deceased," he told reporters in Deogarh.
