This is not the first time that a large number of people have died in stampedes at temples and other religious gatherings over the years in India.
The Royal Challenger's Bengaluru parade in celebration of the team's maiden Indian Premiere League win in 18 years turned into tragedy as at least 11 fans died and several were injured in a stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.
The recent stampede at New Delhi Railway station, which claimed the lives of at least 18 people, highlights a recurring issue in India: deadly stampedes. This tragedy is not an isolated incident, as numerous stampedes resulting in significant casualties have occurred over the years. This article explores some of the most devastating stampedes in India, including the deadly event at the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj just a few weeks ago, the 2024 tragedy at a 'satsang' in Hathras, and the 2013 stampede during Navratri festivities in Madhya Pradesh.
Here is a list of some of such major tragedies that have taken place in the country in recent years.
In the backdrop of the Pulmedu tragedy, which claimed lives of 102 Sabarimala pilgrims, the Kerala high court on Thursday asked the Tranvacore Devaswom Board that manages the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa, if 'Makara Jyoti' (celestial light) was man-made.
At least 102 Sabarimala devotees were killed and 50 injured in a stampede when a jeep crashed into homebound pilgrims at Pulmedu in Kerala's Idukki district, in the worst tragedy to strike the worshippers of the famed shrine in a decade.
The Kerala high court on Thursday came down on the state government for failing to foresee the Pulmedu stampede in which 102 pilgrims were killed."If you provide unrestricted flow of pilgrims, necessary safeguards need to be issued or completely prevent the pilgrims from taking the Pullmedu route," a division bench comprising Justice Thothathil B Radhakrishnan and Justice P S Gopinathan said.The bench has been monitoring the Sabarimala pilgrim season since January 5.
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