MP stampede: Death toll touches 115; district officials suspended

The stampede also left over 100 injured

As the death toll in the stampede during Navratri festivities near a temple in Madhya Pradesh's Datia district climbed to 115 on Monday, the state government suspended

Collector Sanket Bhondwe, SP C S Solanki, SDM Mahip Tejaswi and Sub-divisional officer of police( SDOP) B N Basave.

The opposition Congress party demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the “man-made tragedy”. The stampede, which also left over 100 injured, was triggered by rumours on Sunday that a river bridge the devotees were crossing was about to collapse.

“So far, we have received reports of 115 deaths in the stampede,” Deputy Inspector General D K Arya told PTI from Ratangarh. The DIG said a number of people, who had carried away the bodies of their near and dear ones, are now turning up for autopsy, which is mandatory for seeking compensation.

The government also annouced setting up of a judicial commission, headed by a high court judge, to probe the stampede and asked it to submit its report within two months. The commission recommendations will be implemented within 15 days.

After the 2006 tragedy, the state government had constructed a bridge over the river but mishap took place on it allegedly due to poor mismanagement of the crowd that gathered in lakhs from the nearby districts and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

Accusing the state government of “misgovernance" for the stampede, opposition Congress demanded that the chief minister should step down.

In Delhi, party spokesperson Ajay Maken said the tragedy was “man-made” which could have been stopped.

“A stampede had happened over five years ago at a similar place which left many people injured. The MP government learnt no lessons from it. Its misgovernance and rampant corruption lies at the roots of the tragedy. It should take moral responsibility and the CM should resign,” Maken said. The festivities turned into a tragedy as devotees from Datia and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh thronged the Durga temple to offer prayers on the occasion of Navratri at Ratangarh, about 60 km from the district headquarters and around 320 km away from the state capital Bhopal.

Unconfirmed reports said that the stampede took place as some people were trying to jump the queue and police used batons to control them.  The state government, with the approval of the State Election Commission in poll-bound MP, has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh to the kin of those killed in the stampede.

The government also announced an assistance of Rs 50,000 each to the seriously injured and Rs 25,000 each for those who suffered minor injuries in the mishap. Chouhan said that the inquiry report would come in about two months and action on it will be taken within 15 days after its submission. He said action would be taken against those who are responsible for the stampede, after taking permission from the Election Commission.