Nearly 25 people were killed and several others were injured in a stampede during the Godavari Pushkaram festival in Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday. Televison news channels reported the toll stood at 23 and was likely to go up, with many admitted to hopsitals in serious condition. The incident occurred around 8am when a large number of pilgrims rushed towards one of the gates at Kotagummam Pushkar ghat on the banks of Godavari river to take the holy dip. Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and his family took the holy dip in the river at the same spot on Tuesday morning.
Chaos prevailed at all the three gates at the ghat in Rajahmundry, a town in East Godavari district. Festival participants believe a bath in the river can rid them of their sins. “This is unfortunate that such an incident occurred even after all the precautions were taken and monitored by the CM himself. We are rushing medical teams to help the victims,” said health minister Kamineni Srinivas Rao. There are about 275 ghats developed by the state for the event in the twin districts of east and west Godavari. Godavari Pushkaram is celebrated once in 144 years and is dedicated to worshipping rivers in the two states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Deadly stampedes are fairly common during religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with few safety or crowd control measures.
