Stampede at festival in India, 14 people died

Among the victims, most were women and children.

At least 14 people, mostly women and children, were killed in a stampede at the Chhath festival, the biggest Hindu festival in Bihar state, India.

Most of the victims of the stampede were women and children (Photo: pandithnews.com)

According to Mr. Abhayanand, Director General of Police of Bihar state, the crush and stampede that occurred when the victims were on their way to the festival caused a temporary bamboo bridge along the banks of the Ganges River to collapse.

“Initially, the bridge was slightly damaged and then suddenly, a large number of people gathered at one corner of the bridge. As a result, it could not bear the weight of the crowd and collapsed. There were many victims but I can only give the exact number of fatalities after a proper investigation into the incident,” Mr. Abhayanand said.

In addition to the 14 people killed, many others were injured in critical condition. According to witnesses, poor festival preparations were the cause of the unfortunate incident.

Some eyewitnesses said: “The bridge collapse was just an excuse. It is a reflection of the authorities’ poor preparation and organization of the festival. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is responsible for this unfortunate accident”;

“This is a heartbreaking incident. We have requested the state government many times but they have not built adequate infrastructure. This incident has affected many people.”

Many Indian officials expressed their condolences to the victims of this disaster. Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, leader of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, said: "It is very sad that this tragedy has occurred during the Chhath festival. We all sincerely sympathize with the victims. This is an unfortunate accident. I believe that the central and local governments will provide medical assistance and compensation to the dead and injured."

This is not the first time a stampede has occurred at an Indian festival. Most of these tragedies in India are related to religious festivals, where large numbers of devotees gather.

In September, a stampede in Jharkhand state killed nine people, including eight women. In November 2011, 16 people were crushed to death and dozens injured in a stampede at a festival near the Ganges River in northern India.

Most seriously, on September 30, 2008, more than 220 people died in a terrible stampede at a Hindu temple in Rajasthan state./.

According to (vov.vn) - LT