Union Minister Jitendra Singh Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh on Saturday reached the Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital where the injured are undergoing medical treatment following the stampede at the Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan in Katra.
Speaking to news agency, Singh said, People who got admitted here are stable. We may add some technical solutions for the yatra. Earlier people use to visit the shrine during festivals, nowadays youngsters want to visit the shrine on 1st day of the year: PM Modi is monitoring the situation.”
As per the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board’s statement at around 2:15 am stampede happened near Gate No. 3 at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan, in which a total of 12 pilgrims lost their lives and 15 pilgrims got injured in the incident of which four have been discharged so far.
According to Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh, an argument broke out which resulted in people pushing each other, followed by a stampede at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine early on Saturday morning.
The injured pilgrims were provided first aid at Medical Unit Bhawan and subsequently shifted to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Super Specialty Hospital, Kakryal for specialized treatment.
Dr. JP Singh, Neurosurgeon, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital said that of all the 15 injured people four were admitted to ICU.
The dead bodies of the deceased have been shifted to Community Health Centres in Katra for further legal formalities.
A three-member high-level probe has been ordered by the government in the stampede that took place at Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan in Jammu and Kashmir’s Katra that claimed the lives of 12 people and left 15 others injured early on Saturday morning.
As per an official statement issued by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the team will be headed by the Principal Secretary Home, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu Zone, and Divisional Commissioner of Jammu.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the stampede and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those injured.
Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the next of kin of those who died and Rs 2 lakh for the injured.
The cave shrine is situated at an altitude of 5,200 feet in the Reasi district and generally attracts close to a million devotees every year.
The operations of the pilgrimage site are managed by the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, which provides battery car and ropeway services to the pilgrims to reach the top of Trikuta hills for darshan.
Vaishno Devi Yatra has also resumed today after being suspended briefly following the stampede incident.