16 killed, several injured in Haridwar stampede

Haridwar - 08 Nov 2011 (Agencies): At least 16 people, mostly women, were killed and several others injured in a stampede during a religious ceremony attended by tens of thousands of devotees near Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar on Tuesday. The stampede occurred when the people tried to enter the Yajnashala at Chandidweep Ghat on the banks of Ganga for the centenary celebrations of Pt Shriram Sharma, the founder of Shatikunj Ashram.

The southern gate of the Laljiwala camp at Gaurishankar dweep (island) near Har ki pauri broke down when the crowd jostled to attend 1551 kundi yajna at about 10.30am.

At all other three gates made in north, east and west direction, people entered at normal pace but as most of them were living in camps near southern gate, the crowd became unmanageable.

SDM Haridwar Harbir Singh said 16 people were killed in the stampede.

"It appears that suffocation in the area led to the stampede but exact cause will only come out after an inquiry," he said.

As the stampede broke out, the people ran helter-skelter with women and children falling on the ground.

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal was also holding 'yajna' at the ashram when the stampede broke out.

Police sources said nearly two lakh people from home and abroad had gathered for the ceremony, which is considered to be biggest after the Kumbh mela.

Police officials blamed the Shantikunj Ashram authorities for not involving the police and district administration in the management of the ceremony where lakhs of people had gathered during the past few days.