Global Information2008 Naina Devi temple stampede information
| Date | 3 August 2008 |
|---|---|
| Time | 15:00 IST |
| Location | Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh India |
| Casualties | |
| 146 dead | |
| 150 injured | |
| Stampede, crushed to death, asphyxiation | |
The 2008 Naina Devi temple stampede occurred on 3 August 2008 in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. 146 people died and 150 were injured when they were crushed, trampled, or forced over the side of a ravine by the movement of a large panicking crowd. Witness accounts suggest that events were initiated after a rain shelter collapsed, which worshipers mistakenly took to be a landslide.[1][2][3] There were as many as 3000 devotees at the temple because it was a sacred place (called a "Shakti Peeth") in the holy month of Shraavana of the Hindu Calendar.[2] According to Daljit Singh Manhas, a senior police officer from the area, at least 40 of the victims were children.[4]
The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal, announced a government compensation of Rs. 100,000 (approximately US$2500) for those who died and Rs. 50,000 (approximately US$1250) for the seriously injured.[5] 50,000 people had been expected to attend Naina Devi during the day of the stampede, as part of a nine-day festival which had just started.[4] The pilgrimage resumed on the next day, 4 August 2008.[6]
Gaurav Singh Saini, a 13-year-old boy from Tohana (a town located near Haryana-Punjab border) Haryana, saved 50-60 people during the stampede, and received the Bharat Award, the highest award at the 2009 National Bravery Awards.[7]
- ^ Megha Mann; Jai Kumar (3 August 2008). "146 die in Naina Devi stampede". Anandpur Sahib / Bilaspur: The Tribune (India). Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ^ a b "'Scores killed' in India stampede". BBC News Online. 3 August 2008. Archived from the original on 3 October 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
- ^ Patil, Gangadhar (15 October 2013). "Madhya Pradesh temple stampede: 27 of 29 stampedes in country in last five years at religious places". dnaIndia.com. New Delhi, India: Diligent Media Corporation. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ^ a b Page, Jeremy (4 August 2008). "More than 100 die in Indian temple stampede". London: Times Online. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
- ^ Sahib, Anandpur. "Stampede at Naina Devi Mandir, 125 feared killed". Himvani. Retrieved 3 August 2008.[dead link]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
IBN 20080804was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "21 children to get National Bravery Awards for 2009". Press Trust of India (PTI). 18 January 2010. Archived from the original on 20 January 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2010.