Dehradun, July 27 (IANS): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday announced Rs 2 lakh solatium to the next of kin of the deceased in the Mansa Devi stampede in Haridwar.
CM Dhami also ordered a magisterial probe into the incident that claimed six lives and injured several other devotees who had come for ‘darshan’ at the Mansa Devi temple.
He said that how the rumour about the electric current triggered the stampede will also be probed, and the guilty will be brought to justice.
The rescue and relief operations are underway, he said.
The Chief Minister announced Rs 50,000 in financial assistance for the injured in the incident.
In a post on the social media platform X, he expressed grief over the loss of lives and prayed for peace for the departed souls.
“The death of six people in the heart-wrenching stampede at the Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar is deeply saddening. I pray to God that the souls of the departed find a place at His divine feet and that the grieving families are granted the strength to bear this immense sorrow,” his post read.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister said that extremely distressing news was received about the stampede. He said rescue and relief operations were underway, and he was closely monitoring the situation.
“Extremely distressing news has been received about a stampede breaking out at the Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar. Uttarakhand SDRF, local police, and other rescue teams have reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations, CM Dhami said in his post on X.
Thirteen people who were seriously injured in the Mansa Devi stampede have been sent to AIIMS Rishikesh for further medical treatment, while the rescue and relief operation continues in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar.
Senior Superintendent of Police Pramendra Singh Dobal confirmed that six devotees lost their lives in the tragic incident.
The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) said in a statement that teams from the District Administration, Police, SDRF, and NDRF reached the spot soon after the stampede broke out and launched immediate rescue operations.
According to officials, 23 others sustained non-serious injuries. Of these, 20 are currently undergoing treatment at Harmilap Mission Government Hospital in Haridwar, while three are being treated at Mela Hospital.
“The situation is now under control. The crowd has been cleared from the site, and search and rescue operations are ongoing,” USDMA stated.
Authorities also issued helpline numbers for the families of the victims and those seeking information about the incident. District Emergency Operation Centre, Haridwar: 01334-223999, 9068197350, 9528250926. State Emergency Operation Centre, Dehradun: 0135-2710334, 2710335, 8218867005, 9058441404.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
