Naina Devi temple

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This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content.

1978 stampede

August 4, 2008

FROM THE ARCHIVES OF ‘‘THE TIMES OF INDIA’’: 2008

Anand Bodh & Maveer Saini | TNN

30 years ago, similar tragedy at shrine had claimed 65 lives

Anandpur Sahib: It was not the first time that the Naina Devi temple, just 20 km from Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, had seen a tragedy. A similar tragedy had happened exactly 30 years ago when 65 people died at the same spot. On Sunday, as more than 150 people were killed and hundreds injured as they were trekking to the hilltop temple, the arrangements were woefully inadequate. Eyewitnesses said there was no ambulance to carry the injured to the hospital.

In 1978 too, the stampede happened after rumours of a landslide.

Eyewitnesses said the doctors present could not help the injured. ‘‘They were only declaring people dead,’’ said a survivor. Even the Anandpur Sahib hospital, which has the capacity to handle 60 patients, got more than 140 bodies.

Even the police deployment to handle a massive crowd of pilgrims was inadequate and ill-equipped. No public address system was used to counter the rumours of landslide. There was also no crisis management team working at the spot.