At Least 12 Dead in Stampede at Hindu Religious Shrine in Kashmir

Srinagar, MINA – At least 12 people have died and 13 injured in a stampede at a religious shrine in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The disaster happened around 3am (21:30 GMT) while it was still dark on the route to the Vaishno Devi shrine, one of the country’s most revered Hindu sites.

“The toll could be higher as the route to the hilltop shrine was packed with devotees trying to do the customary new-year visit and prayers,” said a government official as quoted from Al Jazeera on Sunday.

Other news reports said that as many 20 people have been injured. Images aired by the television station also showed several ambulances rushing to the site of the incident.

According to reports, the stampede was triggered by a heavy rush of people coming to pay their respect at the shrine to mark the beginning of the New Year.

The Mata Vaishno Devi is one of the most revered Hindu shrines in northern India, with tens of thousands visiting to offer prayers every day.

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi expressed his condolences in a message on Twitter.

“Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to a stampede,” Modi wrote.

In a statement posted on social media, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind said he was “very distressed to know that an unfortunate stampede claimed lives of devotees at Mata Vaishno Devi”.

“My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I wish speedy recovery to those injured,” he added.

The office of the Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir said that a “high level inquiry” has been ordered” to look into the incident.

Deadly stampedes are fairly common during Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with few safety or crowd control measures.

In October 2016, at least 24 people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede at a Hindu religious ceremony on the outskirts of Varanasi, a city in Uttar Pradesh state known for its temples. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)