Sabarimala Tragedy: 60 Doctors Conduct Autopsies, Kin Identify Dead
Pics: NDTV
Kumily (Kerala) Jan 15 (IANS): As the death toll in the stampede near the Sabarimala temple mounted to 104 Saturday, doctors at a government hospital in this Kerala town busied themselves in one of the biggest post-mortem procedures in the state.
A team of 60 doctors began the grim task at the Kumily government hospital, some 15 km from the accident site in Idukki district.
Hospital authorities said 20 autopsies are being conducted at a time.
One Sri Lankan is among those killed, while 18 are from Tamil Nadu, 12 hail from Karnataka, six from Andhra Pradesh and three belong to Kerala, hospital oficial said.
Idukki Congress MP P.T. Thomas said 71 bodies have so far reached the Vandiperiyar hospital, where all the bodies are being brought after which their autopsy is being conducted at Kumily.
As some of the doctors were busy conducting autopsies, pilgrims tried to identify their near and dear ones among the dead.
Several other doctors treated the scores of injured also being rushed to the hospital. At least 60 people are said to have sustained injuries in the tragedy.
The stampede near the famed Sabarimala temple occurred around 8.00 p.m. Friday when the pilgrims were returning after watching the celestial Makara Jyothi light, the most important event of the pilgrimage, from a hillock some 30 km from the Sabarimala temple.
The tragedy took place in Pulumedu, a forested area about 10 km from the Vandiperiyar town, and about 30 km from the Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta district.
The bodies were first brought to the Vandiperiyar government hospital and from there it was moved to the hospital in Kumily.
"Around 43 bodies have been identified so far and a majority of the dead are from nearby states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. So far three Malayalis are reported dead," said senior Congress leader E.M. Augusthy.
State Finance Minister Thomas Issac reached the hospital and said that the state government will meet the expenses for treating the injured, including those being treated in private hospitals in Idukki and Kottayam districts.
"We are told the gruesome accident took place around 8.00 p.m. at Pulumedu. The entire place was full of vehicles and more than a lakh of pilgrims were returning from a hillock after seeing the celestial light that appeared on the horizon soon after 7 p.m.," Issac said.
"Suddenly a jeep that broke down lost control and rammed into the waiting pilgrims. This created panic, leading to the stampede," said Thomas.
Following is the list of 39 identified victims in the Sabarimala stampede last night.
Kerala
Komukutty Vengara - Malappuram
Unnikrishnan Kottatharayil- Thrippunithura
Karnataka
Suresh -Mysore
Deepesh NS -Kallari -26-year-old
Manjunadhu -Karvadi - 26-year-old
Budhi Ghokkas- 30-year-old
Seetham Ghokkas - 26-year-old
Puneshathu Ghosh - 45-year-old
Babu- Mysore
Sivalinga Iyer - Murukkodu Medu
Malleswar -Kurkkatty - 26-year-old
Bassu Ghokhar
Manju Nath - 21-year-old
Vishnu Murthi - 25-year-old
Sabu Rao
Andhra Pradesh
Arun Methak 20-year-old
Raju- Oncole district
Sreenu - 26-year-old - Malgunda
S Aravind - Manjeswaram
Ram Babu Reddy
Sangam - 30-year-old Ramakkot, Karur Nagar
Tamil Nadu
Ambarassu - Dharmapuram
Murukeshan - 50-year-old Ootty
Rajaratham - 30-year-old - Pollachi
Anju Kumar - 34-year-old - Pollachi
Krishnan - 40-year-old Dharmapuram.
Raman 25-year-old -Kudulur
Raj kumar 30-year-old - Melur -Ootty
Selraj - 40-year-old - Thirunalveli
Ramachandra - Madhurai
Selvaraj - 38-year-old - Thirunelveli
Arun - 20-year-old - Madhurai
Ayyappan - 30-year-old - Dharmapuri
Madhu - Chennai
Govindraj - Mettupalayam
Prasanth - 44 -year-old - Salem
Krishna prasanthan - 34-year-old - Chennai
Subramanian - 32-year-old - Kanjeepuram
Sangam - 35-year-old - Thuthukudi.
State mourns on the day of the festival
Bangalore, Jan 15 (DHNS): The aftermath of the disastrous stampede at the holy shrine of Sabarimala has shocked the nation on the morning of the Makara Sankranti.
Over 15 devotees from Karnataka have been reported dead, eight of them from Gokak of Belgaum district. They are identified as Chandu, Manikanta, Babu, Basu, Govinda, Buddi, Purushottam, Govinda. It is said that these devotees were returning home after witnessing “Makaravilakku,” at Sabarimala.
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa announced an ex-Gratia relief of Rs one lakh to the family of the deceased and Rs 25,000 to the injured. The Bangalore Police have set up two helplines which can be reached at 080-22211777 and 18004250100 (toll free).
Special teams from Gokak and Bangalore have left to the tragedy site headed by ministers Umesh Katti and Shobha Karandalaje. Chief Minister Yeddyurappa is also expected to visit the accident site. He is expected to fly from Haveri to Kochi this afternoon.
20 from Karnataka Among Sabarimala Victims
Bangalore, Jan 15 (IANS) At least 20 people from Karnataka are among the over 100 pilgrims who died in a stampede near Kerala's Sabarimala temple, officials here said Saturday.
Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa announced Rs.100,000 compensation to the next of kin of each killed in the stampede and Rs.25,000 for every injured person, an official spokesperson said.
"The exact number of dead is still not known as several bodies are yet to be identified," he told IANS.
About 25 people from the state have been injured, he said.
Two teams led by ministers Shobha Karandlaje and Umesh Katti have been sent to the stampede site to help transport the bodies and make arrangements to shift the injured to their places or to hospitals in the state, he said.
Initial Report:
Accident Leads to Stampede Near Sabarimala - Over 50 Feared Killed
Vandiperiyar (Kerala), Jan 14 (IANS): More than 50 pilgrims were killed late Friday evening in a stampede in a forest near the Sabarimala shrine when thousands of devotees were returning after watching the celestial Makara Jyothi light, the most important event of the pilgrimage. The death toll is expected to go up, officials said.
The stampede occurred in a forested area at Pulmedu, 30 km from Sabarimala after 8 p.m.
Suresh, a doctor treating the injured at the local hospital here, said the stampede occurred when a barricade broke and the huge crowd surged forward, trampling many under foot.
"They say it was a stampede after a barricade broke and the huge crowd that had gathered at Pulmedu got jittery, and in the melee several pilgrims died," said the doctor.
Friday was the most important day in the Sabarimala pilgrimage as a celestial light appears on the horizon, which can be seen even 30 km from the temple town.
Since the past few days the temple town has been overflowing with pilgrims, with many coming from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Many pilgrims had gathered near Pulmedu, about 30 km from Sabarimala temple, and were watching the celestial Makara Jyothi when the barricade broke and the stampede occurred.
Reports indicate that most of the dead are from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Local legislator E.S. Bijimol told IANS that she heard reports that the stampede occurred when a jeep that had broken down was pushed and it suddenly rolled into the crowd.
"I am at the local hospital at Vandiperiyar and from the information that I have been able to gather is that the death toll has risen to 53. I am told that the casualty is likely to go up," said Bijimol.
Control room at Kumily police station will provide information on the victims of Sabarimala accident-stampede. Phone: 04869 222049
Sabarimala stampede Toll Reaches 104
The toll in the stampede near Kerala's famed Sabarimala temple climbed to 104 Saturday as more bodies and the injured continued to be brought to hospitals in the area.
The stampede occurred around 8.00 p.m. Friday when the pilgrims were returning after watching the celestial Makara Jyothi light, the most important event of the pilgrimage, from a hillock some 30 km from the Sabarimala temple.
The tragedy took place in Pulumedu, a forested area about 10 km from the Vandiperiyar town, and about 30 km from the Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta district. At least 60 people have sustained injuries.
Most of the bodies and the injured have been brought to the Kumily government hospital.
State Finance Minister Thomas Isaac reached the hospital in the morning and said that the state government will meet the expenses for treating the injured even if they have been admitted to private hospitals in Idukki and Kottayam districts.
"A thorough investigation will be done and the state government will meet all the expenses for transporting the bodies to their homes. As the first step, a sum of Rs.5,000 to the injured has been sanctioned," said Isaac.
The bodies were first brought to the Vandiperiyar government hospital and from there it was moved to the hospital in Kumily.
"Around 43 bodies have been identified so far and a majority of the dead are from nearby states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka," said senior Congress leader E.M. Augusthy.