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Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Stampede in north Goa temple kills 6, injures 70 during annual festival
Panaji: At least six people were killed and 70 others injured in a stampede on Friday night during an annual temple pilgrimage festival, Jatra, at Lairai Devi temple in north Goa's Shirgao village, state officials said. Jatra, held in honour of Sri Lairai Devi, is attended by thousands of devotees known as Dhonds, who circle a fire pit (homkhund) and walk over the burning hot coals. The event also draws lakhs of devotees and onlookers who gather to witness the spectators. 'Deeply saddened by the tragic stampede at the Lairai Zatra in Shirgaon this morning. I visited the hospital to meet the injured and have assured all possible support to the affected families. I am personally monitoring the situation to ensure that every necessary measure is being taken,' Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said on X, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi have taken a 'detailed stock of the situation, offering his full support during this difficult time.' Sawant visited the Asilo district hospital in north Goa and the Bicholim primary health centre to meet with the injured. Among the injured, ten patients are reported to be in critical condition and are under observation at Goa Medical College near Panaji. Health minister Vishwajit Rane said that additional doctors have been deployed, and a dedicated intensive care unit has been set up to provide focused care. The stampede took place around 3 am, a police officer said, requesting anonymity. He added, 'There is a steep incline to approach the temple. A huge crowd of devotees had gathered on that narrow stretch to offer prayers. The circumstances are not yet clear, but it appears that one person fell on that slope, which then led to a stampede.' Earlier, the Goa Police had said that the 'highest-ever deployment of police personnel had been made to maintain law and order and to ensure the smooth conduct of the annual zatra at Shirgao, Bicholim.' To ensure the smooth flow of traffic and proper parking of vehicles on Friday, traffic police along with 'one deputy superintendent of police, 14 police inspectors, 28 police sub-inspectors, 16 assistant sub-inspectors, 50 head constables, 310 police constables and 65 lady police constables from north Goa district police have been deployed for effective crowd control, safe and smooth passage to the devotees. Besides, three male platoons and two female platoons of IRBn and 50 police constables from Goa reserve police force have been deployed for Jatra bandobast,' police superintendent (north Goa) Akshat Kaushal, had said on Friday. 'Aerial drones have been placed for covering the Ariel view of Jatra/Festival and to maintain surveillance on the movements of the crowd. Vajra Van (riot control vehicle) is also stationed at the venue of Jatra. Plain cloth Police staff have also been deployed to keep check on the activities of criminals/anti-social elements and to prevent and detect crime like pick pocketing, eve teasing etc. Proper coordination is maintained with the managing committee of the Devasthan,' Kaushal had said.
Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
North Goa temple: Stampede kills 6, injures 30 during annual pilgrimage festival
Panaji: At least six people were killed and 30 others injured in a stampede on Friday night during an annual temple pilgrimage festival, Jatra, at Lairai Devi temple in north Goa's Shirgao village, state officials said. Jatra, held in honour of Sri Lairai Devi, is attended by thousands of devotees known as Dhonds, who circle a fire pit (homkhund) and walk over the burning hot coals. The event also draws lakhs of devotees and onlookers who gather to witness the spectators. 'Deeply saddened by the tragic stampede at the Lairai Zatra in Shirgaon this morning. I visited the hospital to meet the injured and have assured all possible support to the affected families. I am personally monitoring the situation to ensure that every necessary measure is being taken,' Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said on X, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi have taken a 'detailed stock of the situation, offering his full support during this difficult time.' Sawant visited the Asilo district hospital in north Goa and the Bicholim primary health centre to meet with the injured. Among the injured, ten patients are reported to be in critical condition and are under observation at Goa Medical College near Panaji. Health minister Vishwajit Rane said that additional doctors have been deployed, and a dedicated intensive care unit has been set up to provide focused care. The stampede took place around 3 am, a police officer said, requesting anonymity. He added, 'There is a steep incline to approach the temple. A huge crowd of devotees had gathered on that narrow stretch to offer prayers. The circumstances are not yet clear, but it appears that one person fell on that slope, which then led to a stampede.' Earlier, the Goa Police had said that the 'highest-ever deployment of police personnel had been made to maintain law and order and to ensure the smooth conduct of the annual zatra at Shirgao, Bicholim.' To ensure the smooth flow of traffic and proper parking of vehicles on Friday, traffic police along with 'one deputy superintendent of police, 14 police inspectors, 28 police sub-inspectors, 16 assistant sub-inspectors, 50 head constables, 310 police constables and 65 lady police constables from north Goa district police have been deployed for effective crowd control, safe and smooth passage to the devotees. Besides, three male platoons and two female platoons of IRBn and 50 police constables from Goa reserve police force have been deployed for Jatra bandobast,' police superintendent (north Goa) Akshat Kaushal, had said on Friday. 'Aerial drones have been placed for covering the Ariel view of Jatra/Festival and to maintain surveillance on the movements of the crowd. Vajra Van (riot control vehicle) is also stationed at the venue of Jatra. Plain cloth Police staff have also been deployed to keep check on the activities of criminals/anti-social elements and to prevent and detect crime like pick pocketing, eve teasing etc. Proper coordination is maintained with the managing committee of the Devasthan,' Kaushal had said.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Drones and heavy security blanket Shirgao jatra
Panaji/Bicholim: Shree Devi Lairai jatra at Shirgao started on Friday with thousands of dhonds (devotees) raising slogans of Har Har Mahadev and Lairai Mata Ki Jai. Dhonds fast during the five days of the festival and travel not just from across Goa but also from neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka. Dinanath Gaonkar, president of the temple management committee, said that govt has made the arrangements required to ensure trouble-free proceedings during the five days of the festivity. The state administration has been on its toes, as around 1,000 police personnel were deployed for the jatra. Drones were placed to maintain aerial surveillance on the crowd movements. A vajra van (riot control vehicle) was also stationed at the venue. Chief minister Pramod Sawant , accompanied by his wife, Sulakshana, Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanawade, and MLAs Premendra Shet and Carlos Ferreira, visited the jatra to seek the blessing of the goddess. This year, the jatra saw its largest-ever police deployment for security and smooth proceedings. SP North Akshat Kaushal said that one dySP, 14 police inspectors, 28 police sub-inspectors, 16 assistant sub-inspectors, 50 head constables, 310 police constables, and 65 lady police constables from the North Goa district police were deployed for effective crowd control and to ensure safe and smooth passage for the devotees. In addition, three male and two female platoons of IRBn, along with 50 police constables from the reserve police force, were deployed. From the traffic police, one dySP, seven police inspectors, 18 police sub-inspectors/assistant sub-inspectors, and 300 police constables/home guards were deployed to maintain the smooth flow of traffic and proper parking of vehicles in designated areas. Police staff in civil clothes were also deployed to monitor and identify anti-social elements and to prevent crimes such as pickpocketing and eve-teasing.
