At least 12 people have been killed and 13 others injured in a stampede at the Mata Vishnu Devi temple in Occupied Kashmir.
According to the French news agency AFP, the authorities said that the incident took place on Saturday morning due to the huge crowd of pilgrims in the temple of Mata Vishnu Devi. Authorities fear the death toll could rise.
According to India’s NDTV, a large number of Prime Minister Narendra Modi pilgrims had come for worship on New Year’s Eve and the accident took place when the pilgrims were entering Vishnu Devi Bhavan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and said that he is deeply saddened over the loss of life due to stampede in Mata Vishnu Devi Bhavan. He announced Rs 200,000 from the National Relief Fund for the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Lieutenant Governor of Indian-administered Kashmir Manoj Sinha also expressed his grief over the loss of life in the temple in his Twitter statement. He announced Rs 10 lakh for the families of the dead and Rs 2 lakh for the injured.
The temple of Goddess Mata Vishnu is one of the important places of worship for Hindus where thousands of people gather daily. It is located in the hills of Katra, 30 km from Jammu and is open 24 hours a day.
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