Deadly Crowd Crush at Hindu Temple in Goa Kills Six and Injures Dozens
A devastating crowd crush at a Hindu temple in the western Indian state of Goa has resulted in the deaths of at least six people and injured approximately 80 others. The incident occurred on Friday night during the annual Shri Lairai Zatra festival at the Sree Lairai Devi temple in Shirgao village, about 40km from the state capital of Panaji.
According to officials, tens of thousands of devotees had gathered at the temple, which is popular for events including firewalking rituals, during which devotees walk barefoot over a bed of burning coals to seek blessings. The narrow lanes leading to the temple became overcrowded, leading to a deadly crush. As reported by Al Jazeera, people standing on a slope near the temple fell over, pushing more people to fall onto each other, resulting in the tragic incident.
The Director General of Police, Alok Kumar, stated that the situation was exacerbated by the large number of people gathered in a small area. "The crowd surge was sudden and unexpected, and it led to a chain reaction of people falling over each other," he said, as cited by Al Jazeera. The Press Trust of India news agency also reported that the slope near the temple was a contributing factor to the crowd crush.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed his condolences to the families of those affected and visited the hospital to assess the situation. He stated that "all possible support" would be given to the families of those killed or injured. Al Jazeera reported that Sawant was deeply saddened by the tragic stampede and promised to provide assistance to those affected.
The health minister of Goa, Vishwajit Rane, provided an update on the number of injured, stating that approximately 80 people were being treated for their injuries. "Five are critical and on ventilator support, while the remaining are being treated in the specially created emergency ward," he said, as reported by Al Jazeera. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office also expressed condolences to those who lost their loved ones and stated that the local administration was assisting those affected.
Unfortunately, deadly crowd crushes are a recurring phenomenon at religious festivals across India, where large crowds often gather in small areas. In January, at least 30 people were killed and many more were injured as tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to bathe in a sacred river at India’s massive Maha Kumbh festival, the world’s largest religious gathering, in the northern Uttar Pradesh state. In July last year, at least 116 people died, most of them women and children, when a crowd of thousands at a religious gathering in northern India surged at a tent camp in Hathras town in the same state. Another 18 people, mostly women and children, were killed in a crowd crush at a train station in India’s capital New Delhi in February.
The incident has raised concerns about crowd management at large gatherings in India. Authorities have been criticized for their handling of such events, and there have been calls for improved safety measures to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future. As reported by Al Jazeera, the investigation into the incident is ongoing, and the authorities are working to determine the cause of the crowd crush and to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The Shri Lairai Zatra festival is an important event for the Hindu community in Goa, and it is expected that the authorities will take steps to ensure that such a tragedy does not occur again in the future. The incident has sent shockwaves throughout the community, and it has raised concerns about the safety and security of large gatherings in India.
This article is based on reporting by Al Jazeera.
