Junagadh stampede toll rises to 7

RAJKOT (GUJARAT): Toll in the stampede at Mahashivratri fair at Bhavnath temple in Junagadh district today rose to seven even as senior police officials said breakdown of two state transport buses led to the incident.

Premji Makwana, who was injured in the melee last evening at the famous Shiva temple at the foothills of Girnar, 150 km from here, succumbed to his injuries at Junagadh Civil Hospital, official sources said.

The mishap occurred on the narrow Panjanka bridge that connects Junagadh city to Bhavnath temple when two state transport buses coming from opposite directions broke down while crossing the bridge.

"This blocked the entire traffic as well as movement of people which created panic among them causing the stampede," Junagadh SP Dipankar Trivedi said.

The state government has constituted a high-level committee, headed by Additional Chief Secretary Varun Maria, to probe the incident.

Nearly nine lakh pilgrims had converged at Bhavnath temple last evening at the time of the tragedy, district officials said.

In the wake of the stampede and in a bid to prevent recurrence of such incidents, the district administration has put in place many measures.

"To avoid any such incident, we have banned all vehicular traffic in the area today and people are allowed to go on foot only," Trivedi said, adding the directions would be in place till the fair is over.

Meanwhile, Junagadh resident Suresh Banjaria, who had gone to Bhavnath temple yesterday, said, "People of the city have been telling the municipal corporation to build a wider bridge in place of Panjanaka bridge but it has not been done.