Two killed in stampede at Mathura temple

Two women devotees were killed in stampede that occurred in premises of Radha Rani Temple of Barsana, 45 kilometers from Mathura today morning. Hemendra Chaturvedi reports.

Two women devotees were killed in stampede that occurred in premises of Radha Rani Temple of Barsana, 45 kilometers from Mathura on Sunday morning.

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One of the victims been identified as Kusum, aged 42 who had come from Faridabad while other is yet to be identified.

Senior superintendent of police, Mathura NR Padamja denied stampede as cause of the deaths. 'There was much crowd due to the celebration which bagan at 4.30am but there was no stampede as such. A lady died due to heart attack at around 5.30am on the terrace of Radha Rani Temple. The area was not crowded" said Padamja.

'Another lady identified as Kusum aged 42 from Faridabad slipped from stairs and became unconscious. She was taken to the hospital but was declared dead' she added.

'There are no injured and things have been streamlined after main the celebrations got over by 7.30am' said Padamja while talking to Hindustan Times on Sunday morning. She denied lack of preparedness for such crowded occasion.

Thousands of devotees had gathered in temple premises to celebrate 'Radha-asthami' - the birthday of Radha since early morning but arrangements to streamline the movement of devotees were allegedly found missing.

It appeared as if no lessons had been learnt from a similar incident at Bankey Behari Temple on September 16 in Vrindavan, Mathura. Many people, including a woman home guard, were injured in the stampede. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav was at Bankey Behari Temple on Saturday but temple was closed for public.

The administration in Mathura had been denying the Bankey Behatri Temple incident as stampede and held that a home guard was injured after falling from stairs.

However the administration's lack of preparedness at handling arrangements at crowded places was exposed again on Sunday with death of two women devotees.