Govt orders probe, death toll rises in shivratri fair tragedy
Gujarat Global News Network, Ahmedabad
Gujarat government today ordered high level probe in stampede in Shivratri fair last night in which seven persons have died and about 30 injured. The government has also announced payment of Rs one lakh to the relatives of persons who died in one of the worst tragedies in Gujarat.
Six persons including three women and two children had died last night. One of the injured succumbed to the injuries taking the toll to seven in one of the wiorst tragedies in the recent past in Gujarat.
"A high-level committee, headed by Additional Chief Secretary Varun Maria has been set up to probe the stampede incident," a senior officer at the Junagadh District Collector's office said.
The state government and the Junagadh Municipal Corporation (JMC) have also announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs1 lakh each to the family of the deceased and Rs 25,000 to the injured.
Police have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure that today's Shivratri festival passes of peacefully. IG (Rajkot) Pravin Sinha has been deputed to oversee the rescue operations on the spot.
In view of the mishap, Akhil Bhartiya Sadhu Samaj, the main organisers of the fair have decided to call off their famous procession and said that only a symbolic procession would be taken out instead.
Every year a five day fair is held which ends on Shivratri day. Is very popular and is known for the appearance of Naga babas, members of Naga cult. They are known to have great occult powers and they appear in public rarely except in the fair.
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