Panel to submit report on Vaishno stampede within a week: J&K govt: '3-member committee shall examine causes in detail'

The committee headed by the principal secretary (home) was constituted by Lt Gov Manoj Sinha following the incident that left 12 pilgrims dead and over a dozen injured

Devotees return without darshan and prayers due to a stampede at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, in Reasi district, Saturday morning, Jan 1, 2022: PTI Photo

TT Bureau, PTI   |   Jammu   |  01.01.22  : The three-member panel set up to probe the stampede at the famous Vaishno Devi shrine has been asked to submit its report to the Jammu and Kashmir government within a week, according to an official order issued on Saturday.

The committee headed by the principal secretary (home) was constituted by the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha following the stampede at the shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district in the early hours of Saturday that left 12 pilgrims dead and over a dozen others injured.

In an order issued this evening on behalf of the J&K government, General Administration Department Principal Secretary Manoj Kumar Dwivedi said the high-level panel has been constituted to ascertain the reasons behind the tragic incident.

The other two members of the committee are Jammu Divisional Commissioner Raghav Langer and Additional Director General of Police, Jammu, Mukesh Singh.

"The Committee shall examine in detail the causes/reasons behind the incident (stampede) and point out the lapses and fix the responsibility thereof," the order said.

It said the committee would submit its report within a week's time to the government and also suggest appropriate standard operating procedures and measures for preventing the recurrence of such incidents in future.

Some of the survivors blamed "mismanagement" for the tragedy.

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, however, denied the charge, saying all necessary arrangements were made in view of the expected rush, while Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh blamed a minor altercation for the unfortunate incident.

"Nothing but mismanagement was the cause for this tragic accident. They were aware about the possible rush but allowed the people in unhindered," a pilgrim from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh said while waiting outside a mortuary to identify a dead body.

The man, who did not wish to be named, said this situation could have been avoided if the authorities concerned had managed the pilgrimage better.

"A similar situation had happened minutes earlier but luckily none was hurt and the situation was controlled. We were part of a group of 10 devotees all neighbours. A heavy rush triggered the stampede as people were going in and out, and every one was in a hurry," he said.

Many people were resting on the floor, instead of heading back, and it caused more rush at the bhawan, he added.

Another man, who lost his friend, Arun Pratab Singh (30), said they had come from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. The bhawan was overcrowded, he added.

"I had visited the shrine about 10 years ago but was surprised by the heavy rush this time. After the tragedy, we found ourselves helpless and got no help till 6 am," he alleged.

Rani Devi of Bihar's Muzaffarpur said they were fortunate to have escaped death.

"I saw many people dead on the floor and was heartbroken," she said, blaming it on the "uncontrolled rush" of pilgrims at the bhawan.

Expressing deep grief over the loss of lives in a stampede at Vaishno Devi Bhawan in Katra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said all efforts are being made to provide relief to those injured in the unfortunate incident.

"I express my deep condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones in the stampede at Vaishno Devi Bhawan complex," he said.

Modi further said the central government is in constant touch with the J&K administration and full care is being taken for relief work.