17 PILGRIMS FROM AP HURT IN SABARIMALA STAMPEDE

SABARIMALA (KERALA): At least 17 Sabarimala pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh were injured, two of them seriously, in a stampede at the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa on Sunday, officials said.

Due to the heavy rush, a rope barricade between ‘Sannidhanam’ and ‘Mallikapura’ snapped and the pilgrims who were leaning on it fell on each other, Pathnamthitta district collector R Girija said.

The injured were initially taken to the Sannidhanam hospital of which two seriously injured were shifted to Kottayam medical college hospital and three others to Pamba hospital, she said.

The two grievously injured pilgrims have suffered head and rib injuries but they are conscious, she said.

Sunday was the penultimate day before the culmination of the 41-day ‘mandala pooja’ due to which there was a heavy rush of devotees.

The mishap occurred just as the ‘Thanga Angi’ procession carrying ornaments had reached the temple. The procession starts from Aranmula Sree Parthasarthy temple, four days prior to the Mandala pooja.

Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said there was a heavy rush of pilgrims at the shrine when the ‘thanga angi’ procession arrived.

TWO GRIEVOUSLY INJURED PILGRIMS HAVE SUFFERED HEAD AND RIB INJURIES BUT THEY ARE CONSCIOUS