Sawa & squo;s
thi d
Mo day
has
tu ed
t agic
as
la ge
gathe i gs
of
devotees
at
eligious
sites
ac oss
seve al
states
have
bee
hit
by
deadly
i cide ts
a d
c owd- elated
chaos.
F om
Biha & squo;s
Lakhisa ai
to
West
Be gal& squo;s
Bi bhum
a d
Madhya
P adesh& squo;s
Ujjai ,
the
day
of
devotio
has
bee
ove shadowed
by
questio s
ove
c owd
ma ageme t
a d
eme ge cy
p epa ed ess.
I
Biha & squo;s
Lakhisa ai,
a
stampede-like
situatio
b oke
out
o
the
oute
leadi g
to
the
histo ic
Ashok
Dham
temple.
Acco di g
to
the
epo t,
umou s
sp ead
that
a
elect ical
pole
a d
wi e
had
falle
a d
that
cu e t
had
eached
the
a ea.
Pa ic
g ipped
devotees
waiti g
fo
jalabhishek,
p ompti g
people
to
u
i
diffe e t
di ectio s.
The
esulti g
c owd
p essu e
led
to
multiple
casualties.
Eight
deaths
have
bee
officially
co fi med,
while
seve al
othe s
we e
i ju ed
a d
take
to
Lakhisa ai
Sada
Hospital.
Officials
said
a
sudde
su ge
i
devotees
followed
the
a ival
of
two
t ai s
at
the
ea by
Ashok
Dham
ailway
statio .
The
la ge
c owd
epo tedly
joi ed
devotees
who
we e
al eady
p ese t
at
the
temple,
c eati g
i te se
p essu e
o
the
a ow
app oach
oute.
Police
a d
dist ict
admi ist atio
teams
eached
the
spot
a d
escue
ope atio s
we e
lau ched.
Mea while,
a
sepa ate
t agedy
was
epo ted
ea
Ta apith
i
West
Be gal& squo;s
Bi bhum
dist ict,
whe e
a
hotel
caught
fi e
i
the
ea ly
hou s.
Acco di g
to
the
i fo matio
available
i
the
epo t,
seve
people
died
i
the
fi e
a d
seve al
othe s
we e
i ju ed.
I
Madhya
P adesh& squo;s
Ujjai ,
c owd
p essu e
was
also
epo ted
at
the
Mahakaleshwa
temple
complex
du i g
Nag
Pa chami,
whe
the
doo s
of
the
Nagcha d eshwa
Temple
ope
o ce
a
yea .
The
a ow
passage
a d
heavy
devotee
tu out
epo tedly
c eated
difficult
c owd
co ditio s.
The
i cide ts
have
o ce
agai
highlighted
the
impo ta ce
of
obust
c owd-co t ol
systems,
eme ge cy
access
a d
adva ce
safety
pla i g
at
majo
pilg image
desti atio s
du i g
peak
eligious
occasio s.
& bsp;