5 killed in Bengal temple stampede

Incident caused by wall-collapse during Janmashtami celebration in Basirhat

Kolkata: At least five persons were killed and over 25 injured in a stampede near a temple in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Friday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said.

At least five devotees were killed and more than two dozens were injured in a stampede after a wall-collapse during Janmashtami celebration at an old temple in Basirhat of North 24 Parganas in the wee hours of Friday. The death toll is feared to rise. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced a compensation of `5 lakhs for families of the victims and `1 lakh for each critially injured during her visit to Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH) and SSKM Hospital.

Lakhs of devotees visit at Baba Loknath Temple at Kachua in Basirhat every year on the occasion of Janmashtami. This year was no exception. On Thursday night sea of devotees crowded the temply to offer puja. After 2 am on Friday a heavy shower got underway. Those, waiting in serpentine queues outside, tried to enter the temple hurriedly to save themselves from the rain. The temple turned overcrowded soon. The wall of the entrance also became weak due to the rain.

Unable to bear the pressure of the devotees, the wall collapsed falling on temporary shops made of bamboo structure which have mushroomed around the temple over the years. Panicked, the devotees tried to flee, according to preliminary investigation. Several of them however fell on the ground due to the rain leading to the stampede and leaving them injured critically. The district administration launched rescue operations. The injured devotees were rushed to nearby hospitals from where they were later shifted to R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital , CNMCH, SSKM and Calcutta Medical College and Hospital in the city. Out of them, five including three women died.

The victims were Aparna Sarkar, Tarun Mondal, Purnima Gorai, Sonaika Das and a man whose identity is yet to be established.