Many pilgrims killed near Sabarimala shrine

(Lead)
Vandiperiyar (Kerala), Jan 14 (IANS) Many pilgrims were reported killed Friday evening in a
stampede 30 km away from the Sabarimala shrine when thousands of devotees were returning
after watching the celestial Makara Jyothi light, police said. Unconfirmed reports put the death
toll at 30 and the injured at more than 40.According to reports, the tragedy occurred in Pulmedu
near here when a jeep ran into a group of pilgrims when they were returning after attending the
pilgrimage.

State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan termed the incident as a “big tragedy”.

“I have asked the director general of police Jacob Punnoose to reach the place, but it is a serious
accident and at the moment we are unable to confirm the number of casualties. This incident has
taken place in an uninhabited area and no communications are possible from that area,” said
Balakrishnan.

Pulmedu is about 30 km from the Sabarimala temple.

Sabarimala stampede toll reaches 104
Vandiperiyar/Kumily (Kerala), Jan 15 (IANS) The toll in the stampede near Kerala’s famed
Sabarimala temple climbed to 104 Saturday as more bodies and the injured continued to be
brought to hospitals in the area.The stampede occurred around 8.00 p.m. Friday when the
pilgrims were returning after watching the celestial Makara Jyothi light, the most important event
of the pilgrimage, from a hillock some 30 km from the Sabarimala temple.

The tragedy took place in Pulumedu, a forested area about 10 km from the Vandiperiyar town,
and about 30 km from the Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta district. At least 60 people have
sustained injuries.

Most of the bodies and the injured have been brought to the Kumily government hospital.

State Finance Minister Thomas Isaac reached the hospital in the morning and said that the state
government will meet the expenses for treating the injured even if they have been admitted to
private hospitals in Idukki and Kottayam districts.

“A thorough investigation will be done and the state government will meet all the expenses for
transporting the bodies to their homes. As the first step, a sum of Rs.5,000 to the injured has been
sanctioned,” said Isaac.

The bodies were first brought to the Vandiperiyar government hospital and from there it was
moved to the hospital in Kumily.

“Around 43 bodies have been identified so far and a majority of the dead are from nearby states
of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka,” said senior Congress leader E.M. Augusthy.

Sabarimala tragedy: 60 doctors conduct

autopsies, kin identify dead
Kumily (Kerala) Jan 15 (IANS) As the death toll in the stampede near the Sabarimala temple
mounted to 104 Saturday, doctors at a government hospital in this Kerala town busied
themselves in one of the biggest post-mortem procedures in the state.A team of 60 doctors began
the grim task at the Kumily government hospital, some 15 km from the accident site in Idukki
district.

Hospital authorities said 20 autopsies are being conducted at a time.

One Sri Lankan is among those killed, while 18 are from Tamil Nadu, 12 hail from Karnataka,
six from Andhra Pradesh and three belong to Kerala, hospital oficial said.
Idukki Congress MP P.T. Thomas said 71 bodies have so far reached the Vandiperiyar hospital,
where all the bodies are being brought after which their autopsy is being conducted at Kumily.

Several other doctors treated the scores of injured also being rushed to the hospital. At least 60
people are said to have sustained injuries in the tragedy.

The stampede near the famed Sabarimala temple occurred around 8.00 p.m. Friday when the
pilgrims were returning after watching the celestial Makara Jyothi light, the most important event
of the pilgrimage, from a hillock some 30 km from the Sabarimala temple.

The tragedy took place in Pulumedu, a forested area about 10 km from the Vandiperiyar town,
and about 30 km from the Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta district.

The bodies were first brought to the Vandiperiyar government hospital and from there it was
moved to the hospital in Kumily.

“Around 43 bodies have been identified so far and a majority of the dead are from nearby states
of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. So far three Malayalis are reported dead,” said
senior Congress leader E.M. Augusthy.

State Finance Minister Thomas Issac reached the hospital and said that the state government will
meet the expenses for treating the injured, including those being treated in private hospitals in
Idukki and Kottayam districts.

“We are told the gruesome accident took place around 8.00 p.m. at Pulumedu. The entire place
was full of vehicles and more than a lakh of pilgrims were returning from a hillock after seeing
the celestial light that appeared on the horizon soon after 7 p.m.,” Issac said.

“Suddenly a jeep that broke down lost control and rammed into the waiting pilgrims. This
created panic, leading to the stampede,” said Thomas.