2010 Pratapgarh stampede
Encyclopedia
The Pratapgarh stampede was an incident that occurred on March 4, 2010, at Ram Janki temple in Kunda
, Uttar Pradesh
, India
, that killed at least 63 people and seriously injured over 100 more. The incident occurred as 10,000 people attended the temple to receive free items, such as clothes and food, on the first anniversary of the death of the wife of Kripalu Maharaj.
There were initially conflicting reports about the death toll, with some saying 61, some 63, and others 65.
. Some were crushed beneath the gate while others were trampled by other members of the crowd. The cause of the gate's fall was not immediately clear, but it may have been torn down by the crowd. This year's lunch had increased attendance due to "the prior announcement that some utensils would also be distributed along with lunch", a lawmaker said. A nearby tea
stall owner, witness to the stampede, reported people fearing electrocution may have caused panic. As rumors broke out that a live electric wire was in the area and had already electrocuted someone, the crowd rushed towards the under-construction gate causing it to crash.
with lathi
s.
techniques at the temple thereby exaggerating the death toll. Many hundreds of weeping friends and relatives went to a local hospital upon hearing of the stampede. An inquiry was asked for by the Uttar Pradesh
state government. A report is expected to be finalised within 48 hours. The ashram remained closed since the incident and large number of policemen including armed personnel were stationed outside its gates. President of Indian National Congress
and chairman of ruling United Progressive Alliance
, Sonia Gandhi
, condoled the deaths of women and children in stampede. Prime Minister of India
Manmohan Singh
announced a compensation of to relatives of those died in stampede and to those who were seriously injured.
Spiritual guru Kripaluji Maharaj's Bhakti Dham Ashram, where 63 people lost their lives and 64 were injured Thursday in one of the worst stampedes, Sunday doled out a lakh
rupees each to the families of the dead and Rs.50,000 to each of the injured.
Kunda, India
Kunda is a town and a Tahsil in Pratapgarh district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Geography:Kunda is located at . It has an average elevation of 89 metres . Kunda is not a very old town and probably was founded during the British Raj....
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, 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...
, that killed at least 63 people and seriously injured over 100 more. The incident occurred as 10,000 people attended the temple to receive free items, such as clothes and food, on the first anniversary of the death of the wife of Kripalu Maharaj.
There were initially conflicting reports about the death toll, with some saying 61, some 63, and others 65.
Cause
An unfinished temple gate fell, which may have led to a panic among the crowd and to the stampedeStampede
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....
. Some were crushed beneath the gate while others were trampled by other members of the crowd. The cause of the gate's fall was not immediately clear, but it may have been torn down by the crowd. This year's lunch had increased attendance due to "the prior announcement that some utensils would also be distributed along with lunch", a lawmaker said. A nearby tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
stall owner, witness to the stampede, reported people fearing electrocution may have caused panic. As rumors broke out that a live electric wire was in the area and had already electrocuted someone, the crowd rushed towards the under-construction gate causing it to crash.
Stampede
Of the more than 63 deaths, there were at least 37 children and 26 women, who collapsed onto their children and were trampled themselves. There are no reports of any deaths or injuries to men. Many of the dead were poor villagers taking advantage of the offer of free food. Witnesses said police exacerbated the incident by beating peoplePolice brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
with lathi
Lathi
Lathi means stick and also refers to an Indian martial art based on cane-fighting. The word is used in Hindi, Bengali and various other Indian languages. The lathi typically measures 6 to and may be tipped with metal. It commonly used as a crowd control device by the Indian Police and other South...
s.
Aftermath
Indian television aired images of stones being thrown. People and media complained about the lack of crowd controlCrowd control
Crowd control is the controlling of a crowd, to prevent the outbreak of disorder and prevention of possible riot. Examples are at soccer matches, when a sale of goods has attracted an excess of customers, refugee control, or mass decontamination and mass quarantine situations . It calls for gentler...
techniques at the temple thereby exaggerating the death toll. Many hundreds of weeping friends and relatives went to a local hospital upon hearing of the stampede. An inquiry was asked for by the Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
state government. A report is expected to be finalised within 48 hours. The ashram remained closed since the incident and large number of policemen including armed personnel were stationed outside its gates. President of Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
and chairman of ruling United Progressive Alliance
United Progressive Alliance
The United Progressive Alliance is a ruling coalition of center-left political parties heading the government of India. The coalition is led by the Indian National Congress , which is currently the single largest political party in the Lok Sabha...
, Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi...
, condoled the deaths of women and children in stampede. Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
announced a compensation of to relatives of those died in stampede and to those who were seriously injured.
Spiritual guru Kripaluji Maharaj's Bhakti Dham Ashram, where 63 people lost their lives and 64 were injured Thursday in one of the worst stampedes, Sunday doled out a lakh
Lakh
A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
rupees each to the families of the dead and Rs.50,000 to each of the injured.