32 people killed in stampede in Patna during Dussehra event

October 4, 2014

Patna, Oct 4: Thirty-two people, most of them women and children, were killed and several injured in a stampede that broke out this evening at the Gandhi Maidan here shortly after the Dussehra celebrations there had ended.

The tragedy occurred when people were returning after watching the "Ravan Vadh" ceremony at the Bihar capital's main Dussehra event at Gandhi Maidan where a huge crowd had gathered to witness the event, police said.

"Thirty-two people have died," Bihar Home Secretary Amir Subhani said.

Officials said the dead were mainly women and children.

Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manji was present at the Gandhi Maidan where people watched an arrow setting the 60 feet tall effigy of Ravan into flames.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Bihar Chief Minister to enquire about the stampede. He sanctioned Rs 2 lakh each for the next of those killed.

"Amongst the dead, there were 5-6 children and around 20 women," according to Patna District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma.

Verma said around 15 people were injured and were being treated at a local hospital.

The incident happened at the Exhibition Road area near Gandhi Maidan in the heart of the city, as some people in the crowd started jostling with each other to move forward, eyewitnesses said.

The police have blocked the entry of people to the stretch now.

Some eyewitnesses said that panic broke out following rumours that a live electric wire had fallen to the ground.

Slippers, shoes and footwear were seen strewn on a 500 metre stretch as people tried to flee from the scene.

"There was so much rush towards the exit gate that several women and children were run over in the frenzy," Verma said

Governor D Y Patil has expressed grief over the incident and prayed for faster recovery of the injured, a statement from Raj Bhawan said.

Actor-politician and Patna MP Shatrughan Sinha expressed sorrow over the incident and criticised the district administration for improper preparation for the occasion.

"It seems we have not learnt any lesson from stampede during Chhath two years back in Patna and commotion due to bomb blasts at a rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Gandhi Maidan last year," Sinha, BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Saheb, told PTI.

Sinha popularly known as 'Bihari babu', who returned from the capital town today afternoon only, said from Mumbai he was planning to come to be with the people in the hour of tragedy.

He said an impartial probe should bring the guilty to book.

The district administration has issued 0612-22219810 and 9431800675 helplines for query regarding the stampede tragedy.

Patna Commissioner N Vijaylakshmi, who is in PMCH said that process of identification of victims was on. Their photographs were being taken, she said.

Asked about the cause of the stampede, Principal Secretary, Home, Amir Subhani said it would be known only after the probe.

Deputy Superintendent of PMCH Sudhansu Singh said that all the stampede victims were being treated at the emergency ward of the hospital.

RJD President Lalu Prasad has expressed condolence.

"I am unable to come to Patna due to health problem but I am keeping a close watch over the incident," Prasad was quoted as saying by RJD state media in-charge Pragati Mehta.

Prasad said prima facie it appears to be "lapse" of the administration. He demanded stern action against those found guilty for the lapses.

Health Secretary Anand Kishore, who is camping in the PMCH to supervise treatment of the injured, said there are 26 injured in the hospital out of which two are critical.

Over 50 doctors are looking after the injured at PMCH, he told PTI, adding that all the patients are provided free of cost treatment at PMCH.

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Rahul Gandhi questions PM Modi’s 'silence' on NEET scam

Agencies

June 18,2024

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for maintaining "silence" on the NEET exam issue and asserted that his party is committed to strongly raising the voice of the youth from the streets to the Parliament for ensuring strong policies against paper leaks.

The former Congress president said the arrests made in Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana clearly show that there has been organised corruption in the examination in a planned manner and added these BJP-ruled states have become the "epicentre" of paper leaks.

"Narendra Modi, as usual, is maintaining silence on the tampering with the future of more than 24 lakh students in the NEET examination," Gandhi said in a post on X in Hindi.

"The arrests made in Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana clearly show that there has been organised corruption in the examination in a planned manner and these BJP ruled states have become the epicentre of paper leak," he claimed.

In the manifesto, the Congress had guaranteed to secure the future of the youth by making strict laws against paper leaks.

"While fulfilling the responsibility of the opposition, we are committed to formulate such tough policies by strongly raising the voice of the youth from the streets to the Parliament and putting pressure on the government," he said.

Gandhi's remarks came after the Supreme Court on Tuesday said even if there was "0.001 per cent negligence" on the part of anyone in the conduct of the NEET-UG 2024 examination, it should be thoroughly dealt with.

Observing that students have to labour hard while preparing for these examinations, the apex court said the litigation pertaining to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate)-2024 examination ought not be treated as adversarial.

"Even if there is 0.001 per cent negligence on the part of anyone, it should be thoroughly dealt with," a vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti told the advocates appearing for the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The NTA conducts the all India pre-medical entrance test.

The bench was hearing two separate petitions raising grievances, including on grace marks given to the students in the examination held on May 5.

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Kuwait building fire: 17 Injured NRIs still remain hospitalised but in stable condition

News Network

June 22,2024

Over a week after a devastating fire in Kuwait killed 50 people, the Ministry of External Affairs said 17 injured Indians are still admitted in hospitals there and all are stable.

The Indian embassy is in touch with the local authorities, the patients and their kin to ensure their well-being, it said.

The massive fire had occurred at a seven-storey building in Kuwait’s Mangaf city in the southern Ahmadi Governorate on June 12 and at least 45 Indians died in the tragedy. The building was home to 196 migrant workers, mostly Indians.

The NBTC Group, where the victims of the fire tragedy were employed, recently issued a statement, extending its deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and injured.

In response to a query at a weekly media briefing here, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that on the part of the Kuwaiti government, the Emir has announced USD 15,000 as compensation for the families of the people who have died in the fire incident.

The company has announced payment of Rs 8 lakh to the next of kin of people who have died, he said.

“This fire tragedy happened on June 12 and 45 Indians died, their mortal remains were brought to India on June 14. There are still 17 Indians who are injured, they are in hospitals. But, they are all stable. The (Indian) Embassy is making daily rounds, the embassy is in touch with the local authorities, the hospital authorities and even the patients and their family members to ensure their well-being,” Jaiswal said.

He said as far as compensation is concerned, the prime minister had announced on June 13 an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the families of people who had died and Rs 50,000 for the injured people.

In addition, different state governments have also announced their compensation for those who have died in this tragedy, the MEA spokesperson said.

In addition, the insurance money will also come from the insurance company, he said.

The company is also providing a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to all the injured and their medical expenses are being covered by the company. It will also undertake rehabilitation of those who are injured, Jaiswal said.

A C-130J IAF aircraft carrying 45 bodies landed at the Kochi international airport on June 14 morning. Thirty-one bodies were received at the airport by Central and state ministers, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The remaining 14 bodies were sent to Delhi in the same aircraft as a domestic flight from Kochi, and after being brought to Delhi were sent on to their forward journey.

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