The drama occurred at Mata Vaishno Devi, one of the most popular Hindu sanctuaries in northern India, on the occasion of the traditional new year prayers.
Le Monde with AFP
At least 12 deaths and 13 wounded: New Year’s prayers took a tragic turn into a religious sanctuary of the Indian Kashmir, Saturday, December 31. At issue, a jostling in Mata Vaishno Devi, one of the most frequented Hindu sanctuaries in northern India. About 100,000 faithful went there every day before the coronavirus pandemic. This figure had since been limited to 25,000 by the authorities.
“The balance sheet could be heavier, said a government official at the France-press agency under anonymity, because the road leading to the sanctuary located at the top of a hill was crowded with faithful who tried ‘Go to the traditional New Year’s prayers, “he added. Another responsible for disaster management confirmed the number of deaths, stating that the scramble took place around 2:45 local time. “An investigation into the scramble incident at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi’s shri sanctuary was requested by the government,” he said.
The condolences of Narendra Modi
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “said” extremely saddened by the loss of human lives “, stating to be related to the local authorities. He also presented his “condolences to bereaved families” on Twitter and desired a speedy recovery to the wounded. The government minister, Jitendra Singh, announced that he was going on the spot to take a point on the situation.
According to local media, witnesses claimed that the 25,000-day gauge per day had been exceeded and that groups had entered without authorization. Other media reported a dispute that would have erupted between faithful.
Emergency operations quickly started and wounded, some of which would be in serious condition, were conducted to the hospital. Videos broadcast on social networks show ambulances equipped with gyrophraes going to hospitals while it is still night.
The sanctuary, open 24 hours a day, is located on the Katra hills, about thirty kilometers from the city of Jammu.