At least 89 people, including women and children, were killed and 100 injured on Sunday in a stampede during Navratri festivities near a temple in this district. Rumours that a bridge the devotees were crossing was about to collapse led to the stampede.
The incident occurred on a bridge over the Sindh river, leading to the temple at Ratangarh, where lakhs of devotees had congregated, following rumours by some unidentified persons that it was collapsing, Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police, Chambal Range, D K Arya, told PTI. The state government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the mishap.
The stampede occurred as the devotees arrived from Datia and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh to offer prayers on the occasion of Navratri at the Durga temple at Ratangarh, about 60 km from Datia district headquarters, and 320 km from the state capital.
Unconfirmed reports said the stampede took place as some people were trying to jump the queue and police used batons to control them. Arya said have been injured in the mishap and they had been rushed to nearby hospitals.
The state government, with the approval of the State Election Commission in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh to the relatives of those killed in the stampede. The government also announced an assistance of Rs 50,000 each to the seriously injured persons and Rs 25,000 each to those with minor injuries in the mishap.
