For some, search still on

After 24 hours of the tragedy which claimed 147 lives at Naina Devi temple, the authorities on Monday opened...

After 24 hours of the tragedy which claimed 147 lives at Naina Devi temple, the authorities on Monday opened the route for pilgrimage. But there were families who were still searching for their dear ones in Anandpur Sahib Hospital.

Kakka and Panni, both brothers from Patiala, were desperately looking for their seven family members 8212; five women and two children. 8220;We searched for them in the mortuary and wards, but to no avail. Now, doctors told us that we could go and check Nangal hospital to see if they were admitted there,8221; Kakka said.

Similarly, Kaur Singh, an Amloh resident, was running from pillar to post to trace his wife and child who had come to the temple two days ago. 8220;My wife and child are not traceable anywhere. I went up to the temple, but did not find them there. They are not even on the victims8217; list. I hope they are alive,8221; he said, keeping his fingers crossed.

A scrutiny of the victims8217; list indicated that the maximum people 8212; 104 8212; who succumbed to injuries were from Punjab, followed by Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. While around 50 people who died belonged to Patiala district, 15 others were identified as residents of Tohana, Fatehabad, Haryana, including seven teenaged girls and five teenaged boys. A one-year-old girl was also among the victims.

According to doctors at Anandpur Sahib, many families died in the stampede. 8220;We have conducted 130 postmortems till Monday morning. We had constituted about 10 teams of doctors, which conducted 15-20 post-mortems every hour. As for the unidentified bodies, we will wait for their claimants before the local authorities cremate them,8221; said Dr Ashok Sharma, Senior Medical Officer, Anandpur Sahib, Hospital.

As regards the injured in the Anandpur Sahib Hospital, doctors said most of them were out of danger.

Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Health Minister Jagat Prakash Naddha reached the hospital and met the injured as well as families of the victims. While Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, too, visited Anandpur Sahib and met the families and relatives of the victims, Punjab Governor General retd S F Rodrigues condoled the deaths.