Three women killed, four injured in stampede in Rajasthan's temple

Three women were killed and four got injured in a stampede outside a temple in Rajasthan’s Sikar district early on Monday, police said.

Long queues were seen outside the Khatu Shyam temple as devotees had gathered on the occasion of Gyaras, an auspicious day as per the Hindu calendar.

As soon as the temple opened at around 4.30 am, the devotees flocked for darshan.

In one of the queues, a 63-year-old woman suffering from a heart ailment collapsed. Two women behind her, too, fell down due to the rush. They died in the stampede, Superintendent of Police K Rashtradeep informed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express his condolences. He said: “Saddened by the loss of lives due to a stampede at the Khatu Shyamji Temple complex in Sikar, Rajasthan. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray that those who are injured recover at the earliest.”

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot, too, expressed his grief. “Death of three women due to stampede in Khatu Shyam ji in Sikar is very sad and unfortunate. My deepest condolences are with the bereaved family members,” he tweeted in Hindi.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also condoled the loss of lives in a stampede outside a temple in Rajasthan’s Sikar. “The news of stampede at Khatu Shyam jis fair in Sikar, Rajasthan is very saddening. I wish the injured a speedy recovery and peace to the departed souls and also express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives,” Gandhi said in a Facebook post in Hindi. “I appeal to all the Congress workers of Rajasthan to help the local people, along with the administration at the earliest,” the former Congress chief said.

Former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, BJP state president Satish Poonia and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje were among the other leaders who condoled the deaths.

Poonia had demanded the state government to release compensation for the kin of those killed and injured.

SHO at Khatu Shyam ji police station Riya Chaudhary identified the 63-year-old deceased as Shanti Devi.

Devi’s brother Mangat Ram told reporters, “As soon as the temple was opened for prayers, stampede occurred. Somehow, we managed to escape. My sister was old, so she got stuck and died. Others from my family sustained injuries.”

The family had arrived from Hisar in Haryana. Devi’s daughter Poonam said some other family members, including girls, too fell in the stampede but they managed to escape. “We were all standing together in a queue when we felt a sudden push from behind and all of us fell. My mother died in the incident,” she said with tears in her eyes.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakhs each for the kin of the deceased and an aid of ₹20,000 for those injured.

The SHO said that CCTV footage is being examined for better clarity on the incident and efforts are being made to identify the other two deceased.

(With inputs from agencies)