Stampede kills 7 devoteesduring temple ceremony
Tiruchirappalli: A stampede during a local temple ceremony killed seven devotees and injured ten others near Thuraiyur, about 45 km from here, on Sunday, police said. The tragedy occurred when hundreds of people gathered for the ‘padikasu’ (temple coin) distribution ceremony, held as part of annual ‘Chithira Pournami’ festival, at the ‘Karuppasamy’ (a rural deity) temple in Muthiampalayam village. Seven people, including four women, died on the spot while ten others were seriously injured and have been hospitalised, the police said. A temple official, on condition of anonymity, said there was no effort to control the crowd nor was there enough security personnel to bring the situation under control. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday expressed anguish over the loss of lives in a stampede at a temple in Trichy and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the victims. He said all possible help is being extended by the authorities. “An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who passed away has been approved from the PM’s National Relief Fund. Rs 50,000 each for the injured has also been approved,” he said. (PTI)
Congress workers protest outside Rahul’s residence
NEW DELHI: Supporters of Delhi Congress leader Raj Kumar Chauhan on Sunday staged a protest outside party President Rahul Gandhi’s residence here over rumours that he was being denied a ticket by giving preference to an outsider. Scores of Congress workers carrying placards in support of Chauhan raised slogans against the party leaders. The placards read “Raj Kumar Chauhan is our candidate and no outsider will be accepted”. As per party leaders, Congress is all set to field former Union Minister Ajay Maken from New Delhi, three-time Delhi Chief Minister and Delhi party unit chief Sheila Dikshit from Chandani Chowk, Olympian wrestler Sushil Kumar from West Delhi, Aravinder Lovely from East Delhi, Ramesh Kumar from South Delhi, J.P. Agarwal from North East Delhi and Raj Kumar Chauhan from North West Delhi. However, the supporters of Chauhan were miffed after news spread that he was being denied a ticket. (IANS)
Truck-bus collision kills 7
LUCKNOW: At least seven people were killed and 30 others injured on Sunday when a Varanasi-bound passenger bus collided head-on with a truck in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district, police said. Rakesh Pandey, the incharge of the Karhal police station, said: “The accident took place on the Agra Lucknow Expressway while the bus, en route to Varanasi from New Delhi, tried to overtake and collided head-on with the truck coming from the opposite direction.”The victims included the bus driver and the injured have been shifted to a hospital in Saifai town.” Yadav said that the police had great difficulty in taking out the bodies since the impact of the accident left the bus badly mangled. (IANS)
Car overturns, kills 2 in Sikar
JAIPUR: Two people were killed and another injured as a speeding car overturned after hitting into a tree in Rajasthan’s Sikar district, police said Sunday. The accident occurred on Saturday night when the victims were on their way to Neem Ka Thana from Khetri, they said. Sujan Singh (26) and Sumer Singh (45) killed on the spot while the car driver got injured and has been shifted to a government hospital in Sikar, Neem Ka Thana police station incharge Rajendra Prasad said. The bodies were handed over to family members after post-mortem on Sunday and a case of rash driving has been registered against the car driver, the officer added. (PTI)