2008 Naina Devi temple stampede
Encyclopedia
A human stampede
at the Hindu
temple of Naina Devi
occurred on 3 August 2008 in the India
n state of Himachal Pradesh
. 162 people died when they were crushed, trampled, or forced over the side of a ravine
by the movement of a large panicking crowd. Witness accounts suggest that events were initiated after a rain shelter collapsed, which worshipers mistakenly took to be a landslide
. There were as many as 3000 devotees at the Temple because it was a sacred place (called a "Shakti Peeth") in the holy month of Shraavana
of the Hindu Calendar
. According to Daljit Singh Manhas, a senior police officer from the area, at least 40 of the victims were children.
The Chief Minister
of Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal
, announced a government compensation of Rs
100,000 (approximately $2500 US) for those who died and Rs 50,000 (approximately $1250 US) for the seriously injured. 50,000 people had been expected to attend Naina Devi during the day of the stampede, as part of a nine-day festival
which had just started. The pilgrimage resumed on the next day, 4 August 2008.
Gaurav Singh Saini, a 13 year old boy from Tohana
, (A town located near Haryana-Punjab border) Haryana
, saved 50-60 people during the stampede, and received the Bharat Award, the highest award at the 2009 National Bravery Award
.
Shock and disbelief spread through India as the news of the stampede trickled in.
Rajnath Singh
, the current leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party
in India, responded to the stampede by releasing a statement in the hours after the disaster. "I am deeply saddened to learn about the tragic death of over 100 pilgrims. I convey my deep felt condolences to the family members of all those who have lost their lives or have been injured in the incident," he said.
Himachal Pradesh
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal
responded by announcing an inquiry into the incident.
The Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari, and the Speaker of Lok Sabha
, Somnath Chatterjee
, conveyed condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the incident.
The Tribune
criticized the poor infrastructure and ill-maintained roads at the shrine, reporting that a team of doctors and paramedics were unable to reach the site of the accident until hours after the stampede. The Times of India observed that there had been no improvement in crowd management even though a similar stampede took place in the shrine in 1978 after rumors of a landslide spread, killing 65 people. The area around Naina Devi suffered a mobile-network jam due to the large number of phone calls by worried relatives.
after the incident, said post-mortems were not carried out on 40 of the dead at the request of their relatives.
Stampede
A stampede is an act of mass impulse among herd animals or a crowd of people in which the herd collectively begins running with no clear direction or purpose....
at the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
temple of Naina Devi
Naina Devi
Naina Devi is a town and a municipal council in Bilaspur district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.-Demographics:As of the 2001 India census, Naina Devi had a population of 1161. Males constitute 63% of the population and females 37%. Naina Devi has an average literacy rate of 81%, higher...
occurred on 3 August 2008 in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
. 162 people died when they were crushed, trampled, or forced over the side of a ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
by the movement of a large panicking crowd. Witness accounts suggest that events were initiated after a rain shelter collapsed, which worshipers mistakenly took to be a landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
. There were as many as 3000 devotees at the Temple because it was a sacred place (called a "Shakti Peeth") in the holy month of Shraavana
Shraavana
Shraavana is a month of the Hindu calendar, also known as Sawan. In India's national civil calendar, Shraavan is the fifth month of the Hindu year, beginning in late July and ending in the third week of August. In the Tamil calendar, it is known as Aavani and is the fifth month of the solar year...
of the Hindu Calendar
Hindu calendar
The hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian calendars, as well as an Indian national calendar. Nepali calendar, Bengali calendar, Malayalam calendar, Tamil calendar, Telugu calendar, Kannada...
. According to Daljit Singh Manhas, a senior police officer from the area, at least 40 of the victims were children.
The Chief Minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
of Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal
Prem Kumar Dhumal
Prem Kumar Dhumal is an Indian politician who was Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh from March 1998 to March 2003 and has been Chief Minister again since 1 January 2008.-Electoral career:...
, announced a government compensation of Rs
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
100,000 (approximately $2500 US) for those who died and Rs 50,000 (approximately $1250 US) for the seriously injured. 50,000 people had been expected to attend Naina Devi during the day of the stampede, as part of a nine-day festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
which had just started. The pilgrimage resumed on the next day, 4 August 2008.
Gaurav Singh Saini, a 13 year old boy from Tohana
Tohana
Tohana is a city and a municipal council in Fatehabad district in the Indian state of Haryana.-Geography:Tohana is located at . It has an average elevation of 224 metres .-Groups:...
, (A town located near Haryana-Punjab border) Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, saved 50-60 people during the stampede, and received the Bharat Award, the highest award at the 2009 National Bravery Award
National Bravery Award
National Bravery Award for Indian Children is given each year by Government of India and Indian Council for Child Welfare , to Indian children for meritorious acts of bravery against all odds.The award is given to around 24 children below the age of 16...
.
Stampede
Devotees standing in a queue initially saw the collapse of a rain shelter. This triggered a false cry of "Landslide!" as it was raining on the day of the stampede. People reportedly tried to move outside the railings put up by the police for crowd control, but the police refused to allow any more movements. The railings later collapsed and people fell on each other, starting the stampede.Reaction
Rajnath Singh
Rajnath Singh
Rajnath Singh is a prominent Indian politician and who has served the country in many capacities. He was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, a Cabinet Minister in the NDA regime and became the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is the single largest Opposition party in India...
, the current leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
in India, responded to the stampede by releasing a statement in the hours after the disaster. "I am deeply saddened to learn about the tragic death of over 100 pilgrims. I convey my deep felt condolences to the family members of all those who have lost their lives or have been injured in the incident," he said.
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal
Prem Kumar Dhumal
Prem Kumar Dhumal is an Indian politician who was Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh from March 1998 to March 2003 and has been Chief Minister again since 1 January 2008.-Electoral career:...
responded by announcing an inquiry into the incident.
The Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari, and the Speaker of Lok Sabha
Speaker of Lok Sabha
The Speaker is the presiding officer of the lower house of Parliament of India. His/her role is similar to that of Speakers elsewhere in other countries that use the Westminster system of government....
, Somnath Chatterjee
Somnath Chatterjee
Somnath Chatterjee is an Indian politician who had been associated with the Communist Party of India for most of his life, though he is currently an independent...
, conveyed condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the incident.
The Tribune
The Tribune
The Tribune is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published from Chandigarh, New Delhi, Jalandhar, Dehradun and Bathinda. It was founded on 2 February 1881, in Lahore , by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as...
criticized the poor infrastructure and ill-maintained roads at the shrine, reporting that a team of doctors and paramedics were unable to reach the site of the accident until hours after the stampede. The Times of India observed that there had been no improvement in crowd management even though a similar stampede took place in the shrine in 1978 after rumors of a landslide spread, killing 65 people. The area around Naina Devi suffered a mobile-network jam due to the large number of phone calls by worried relatives.
Post-mortem report of victims
Post-mortem examinations conducted on victims of the Naina Devi temple stampede confirmed that the deaths were caused by asphyxiation. Post-mortem reports of 101 bodies out of a total of 141 victims taken to the civil hospital at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, 18 km from the site, have indicated compression of the chest causing asphyxiation and death, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) P C Akela said. Akela, who remained stationed at Anandpur SahibAnandpur Sahib
Anandpur Sahib is a city in Rupnagar district in the state of Punjab, India. Known as "the holy City of Bliss," it is a holy city of the Sikhs and is one of their most important sacred places, closely linked with their religious traditions and history...
after the incident, said post-mortems were not carried out on 40 of the dead at the request of their relatives.