'Stampede triggered by electric shock': Lairai Devi temple President; 50,000-70,000 devotees gathered at Shirgao Zatra
NEW DELHI: Lairai Devi temple President, advocate Dinanath Gaonkar, on Saturday stated that the stampede during the Zatra in Shirgao was triggered when a devotee accidentally touched an electric bulb with his cane stick, received a shock, and collapsed onto others in the tightly packed crowd.
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Gaonkar further mentioned that approximately 50,000 to 70,000 Dhonds (followers of Lairai Devi) had gathered for the Zatra.
"Around 50,000 to 70,000 Dhonds (followers of Lairai Devi) were here at the Zatra... People in the crowd were pushing each other to get ahead in the crowd... Many of us villagers tried to stop them and resolve the issue. But these people were just not ready to listen to us. During this, some people went to a shop here, and one person's beth (cane stick) touched a bulb, and he suffered an electric shock.
He fell on other people, and that's how the stampede started..." said Lairai Devi temple President, advocate Dinanath Gaonkar.
North Goa Superintendent of Police
(SP) Akshat Kaushal on Saturday said that police are still trying to determine the exact cause of the stampede incident at Shirgao.
Kaushal informed that over 50,000 people were present inside the temple for the (Larai) Zatra, and around 400 police officers were on duty.
He further added that this was the first time such an incident had occurred at the festival.
"We are still trying to determine the exact cause of the incident. However, we have been told that the stampede might have happened due to some people spreading rumours... The biggest challenge for us was to peacefully vacate more than 50,000 people who were inside the temple for the (Larai) Zatra. Around 400 police personnel were deployed here for the Zatra.
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This is the first time something like this has happened on this occasion," SP Kaushal told ANI.
Earlier in the day, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant visited Shirgao, where the stampede incident occurred. The stampede took place at around 4-5am on Saturday.
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