The shrine is frequented by a large number of people seeking a cure for people possessed by “evil spirits”.
Himachal Pradesh: News coming from Himachal Pradesh say that at least two devotees were killed and seven others were injured following a stampede at a religious shrine. According to the officials, the stampede was caused by a landslide in Himachal’s Una district on Monday.
Dera Baba Vadbhag Singh in Mairi village, located about 40 km from Una’s Amb subdivision, the shrine is frequented by a large number of people seeking a cure for people possessed by “evil spirits”.
Reportedly, the incident occurred when the devotees, who had come to take part in the Baba Vadbhag Singh fair, were taking a bath in the holy spring in Charan Ganga at around 5 am when about five big pieces of stones came sliding down from the mountain following a landslide, said the police.
Watching the big pieces of stones rolling down from the mountain towards them, people panicked and started running towards safety. This resulted in a stampede, causing injuries to devotees, the number of whom is said to be between 7-9.
All the injured were rushed to Civil Hospital Amb for treatment, where two devotees succumbed to injuries. The deceased were identified as Billa and Balveer Chand, residents of Faridkot, Punjab, the officials added.
The police sent the bodies for postmortem. Five of the injured have been sent to Una Zonal Hospital while two were referred to PGI Chandigarh.
ASP Sanjeev Bhatia said that the injured devotees are undergoing treatment.
Jatin Lal, Deputy Commissioner, Una, said that devotees will not be allowed to take a bath in the holy feet of Ganga until the situation becomes normal.
Statements of eyewitnesses present at the incident site will also be recorded so that the real reasons for the accident can be known, said SP Una Rakesh Singh.
Bathing in Charan Ganga is considered sacred and there was a huge rush of devotees at the holy feet of Ganga on Monday due to the full moon.
(With PTI inputs)
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