Six dead in Junagadh temple stampede

Till about midnight,the injured were still being shifted to Junagadh Civil Hospital,and the police were busy clearing the traffic jam. So far,the bodies have not been identified.

The police said that heavy traffic jam on Pannchnaka Bridge,the only road to Bhavnath temple at the foothill of Mount Girnar,reportedly led to the stampede. Following heavy flow of devotees and tourists,the entry of private four wheelers and heavy vehicles were banned in the area. According to reports,the chaos started when a bus,probably a government one,had a breakdown at Pannchnaka. Despite the traffic jam,the heavy flow of devotees from both sides continued,leading to the stampede. “In the evening,there was a traffic jam on the bridge,which is the only road connecting the city to Bhavnath Taleti where the temple is located. Due to traffic jam,lakhs of people visiting the area were trapped. The stampede broke out between Damodar Kund and the temple around 7.45 pm,” the police said.

Nearly four lakh devotees had congregated at the famous shrine of Lord Shiva.

The annual fair is held to celebrate Mahashivratri,which falls on Monday. Last couple of days have seen around six lakh devotees visiting Junagadh and Bhavnath temple.