Around two dozen injured in stampede in Jehanabad

JEHANABAD: About two dozen devotees were injured early on Monday morning following a stampede on the stairways leading to the Shiva temple atop the Barabar hills under Makhdumpur police station area of Jehanabad district.
According to police sources, the stampede occurred when the railing of the stairways leading to the temple on the hill suddenly collapsed as a large number of devotees pushed each other in a bid to make it to the shrine to offer oblation to the presiding deiy, Baba Sidhdheshwar Nath, on the occasion of the fourth Monday of the holy month of Shrawan.While 17 of the injured were admitted to a makeshift medical camp at the foothills near Patalganga and later discharged after first aid, seven others with somewhat serious injuries were shifted to the S P Verma Referral Hospital at Makhdumpur.
On receipt of information, Jehanabad DM M Sohail rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation and also met the injured persons to inquire about their condition. The condition of all the injured admitted to the referral hospital at Makhdumpur is out of danger, the DM said. According to locals, nearly one lakh devotees from the adjoining districts thronged the Shiva temple located at the top the Barabar hills on Monday to offer 'Jalabhishek' to Lord Shiva.
It may be noted here that this is the second incident of stampede at Barabar Hills during the past few years. In 2009, four persons had been killed and over a dozen injured in a similar stampede near the main shrine. Locals say that the railings of the entire stretch of the stairways from the Patalganga to the top of the hill are weak.