AFP/Ranchi

A stampede outside a temple killed at least 11 pilgrims in eastern India early yesterday after thousands tried to jump a queue that stretched for kilometres during a holy Hindu month, a police officer said.
Authorities said devotees who had massed outside overnight had rushed towards the Baidyanath Jyotirlinga temple complex in Jharkhand state after news circulated that the gates were opening.
Several devotees still sleeping in the enormous queue, more than 6km long, were trampled in the crush over a kilometre from the main gate between 4am and 4.30am, said SN Pradhan, additional director general of police in Jharkhand.
A particularly large crowd of pilgrims had gathered before dawn yesterday, considered an auspicious date to visit the complex during the month of Shravan, which includes a main temple and 21 smaller ones devoted to Shiva, the Hindu deity of destruction.
“The first prayer ceremony is conducted by the temple priests and then the doors of the temple are opened for the devotees,” said Pradhan.
“Many tried to rush to the head of the queue which led to chaos and as some of them fell, the devotees got trampled,” Pradhan said.
“Eleven people have now been confirmed dead after one more person succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Initial reports suggest most of around 20 others who were injured in the stampede are out of danger.”
Photos showed the bodies of kanwarias, devotees of Shiva, dressed in saffron rags, laying on a concrete slab.
Pilgrims were seen being taken on stretchers into a hospital while television footage also showed others being bandaged outside.
“Our initial estimates are that there were around 100,000 to 150,000 devotees there,” Pradhan said.
Nishikant Dubey, a lawmaker whose constituency includes the temple, said there were not enough facilities to manage the crowds, despite the fact it has long drawn thousands of pilgrims.
Dubey said pilgrims were anxious to get into the complex after trekking for long distances on foot to demonstrate their religious devotion.
“By the time many people reach the city, some after having walked over 60 miles on foot, many are very restless while having to stand in such a long queue,” Dubey told AFP.
Pradhan said additional police and other security were being deployed to the area around the complex to cope with the crowds.
“These additional forces will now help manage the huge crowds that are arriving daily to visit the temple,” he said.
Stampedes are not uncommon at India’s religious festivals, where police and volunteer stewards are often overwhelmed by the sheer size of the crowds.
A stampede on the banks of a holy river killed at least 27 pilgrims last month in Rajahmundry, on the border of the southern twin states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter that he was “pained” by the loss of lives and he prayed that “the injured recover quickly”.
The Jharkhand government said Rs200,000 would be given as compensation to families of those killed, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.
IANS adds: Prime Minister Modi condoled the deaths in the stampede.
“Pained at loss of lives due to the stampede in Jharkhand. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased in this hour of grief. I pray that the injured recover quickly,” Modi said on Twitter.
“I spoke to Chief Minister Raghubar Das on the incident.”
Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar said all the injured have been admitted to Sadar hospital in Deoghar for treatment and added the stampede was a result of a “large crowd”.
Federal Home Minister Rajnath Singh said: “My heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed in the stampede at Deoghar in Jharkhand. I pray for speedy recovery of the injured.”
He said Das apprised him of the situation in Deoghar and “asked for extra Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployment”.
The minister said one extra RAF battalion will be sent to Deoghar for “better crowd and security management”.
Das has ordered a high level probe into the incident. “The government would initiate action against officials found responsible for the incident,” Das told the media in Ranchi.
Leader of opposition Hemant Soren blamed mismanagement by local authorities for the incident. While Deoghar Lok Sabha MP and BJP leader Nishikant Dubey blamed the successive state governments for such incident.
The Jharkhand government appointed a special deputy commissioner and a superintendent of police for Deoghar district for ‘Shravan’ month in the wake of the stampede.
“Rahul Purwar will be special deputy commissioner and M.L. Meena will be special superintendent of police of Deoghar till ‘Shravan’ month,” the government said in a statement.