Maha Kumbh stampede: Judicial panel blames railway, UPSRTC

Judicial panel probing the last year's stampede at a railway station in Allahabad during Maha Kumbh, which left 38 pilgrims dead, has put railway in the dock on several counts.
The one-member judicial inquiry commission also blamed Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, Allahabad administration and police for failing in crowd management, which led to the stampede.
On August 14, Justice (retired) Omkareshwar Bhatt had submitted his report with Governor Ram Naik, who has directed that it be sent to UP government and the Centre, an official spokesman said.
Naik also said that in the wake of next Kumbh at Nasik in Maharashtra, a copy must be send to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

A total of 38 pilgrims were killed and 47 others injured during the stampede at Allahabad railway station on February 10, 2013 on a day of holy bath on 'Mauni Amavashya'.
The one-member judicial inquiry commission has concluded that the railway did not make a clear assessment of the number of passengers for which arrangement of transportation had to be made on the occasion of 'Mauni Amavasya'.
It said that inadequate number of trains were pressed into service to transport the crowd from the railway station to different cities.
"Though, it was announced to operate one mela special train at every half-an-hour, it was not followed at all and trains were running late by two to four hours," the report said.