A judicial enquiry has been ordered in to the death of 102 Sabarimala pilgrims in Kerala in last night's stampede. 80 other devotees have been injured in the stampede at Uppupara on the Pullumedu-Vallakadavu forest route in Idukki district. The devotees were returning after holy darshan at the shrine of Lord Ayyappa on Makar Sankranti day. The stampede was reportedly caused when a jeep ran off the road hitting an autorickshaw triggering panic among the pilgrims. Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, who has rushed to the spot from Kannur by helicopter told news persons at Kumily that efforts will be made to get the services of a sitting Kerala High Court Judge to conduct the enquiry. The Kerala Government has declared a holiday today in view of the tragedy. The government has also declared a three-day State mourning. Seventy three bodies have been identified so far. Of them, 30 pilgrims were from Tamil Nadu, 25 from Karnataka, 14 from Andhra Pradesh, three Kerala and one from Sri Lanka. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has announced one lakh rupees each as compensation to the next of the kin of the stampede victims from the state who died at Pulumedu in Kerala. He also announced twenty-five thousand rupees to the people injured in the incident. Andhra Pradesh Government has set up a Help-Desk at the State secretariat in Hyderabad to provide the information regarding the victims of Sabarimala stampede. State Endowment Minister Jupalli Krishna Rao said the help desk will have Tele phone number 90102 04277 and Fax number 040-2345 2888. The President, Vice Presdient , Prime Minister and the UPA chairperson have expressed shock and grief at the tragedy in Sabarimala which has claimed heavy loss of lives.
News On AIR | January 15, 2011 8:52 PM
Kerala govt orders judicial enquiry into Sabarimala tragedy which claimed 102 lives