70 pilgrims trapped inside Kota temple rescued

KOTA (RAJASTHAN): 70 people were rescued on Monday from the Gaiparnath Mahadev temple where 133 pilgrims were trapped when the ladder leading to the ancient shrine collapsed.

Two persons were killed while one was admitted to MBS hospital in a critical condition after the cantilever type of ladder, supported from one end, collapsed on Sunday due to heavy rush of pilgrims, official sources said.

"Seventy people and two dead bodies had been evacuated from the temple by 11 am (Monday). Efforts to rescue the other 63 are going on. We have kept helicopters ready for any emergency," a police official said.

"We were not able to start rescue operations on Sunday evening due to darkness but we provided all the necessary things to the persons stranded there. We gave them food, milk, lights," the official said.

Three cranes of Rajasthan Atomic Power Project and five fire tenders were pressed into rescue operation to evacuate the stranded people, most of them women and children.

Senior officials including District Collector Abhay Kumar and Police Superintendent Vishal Bansal were camping at the site to monitor the rescue operation, they added.