Jammu, Jan 01 (KNS): The Director General of Police J&K Dilbag Singh today visited Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Katra to enquire about health of pilgrims who were injured in a stampede at Mata Vaishno Devi Shirne last night. 

The DGP was accompanied with ADGP, Jammu, Shri Mukesh Singh, SSP Reasi Shailender Singh and other jurisdictional officers.

DGP, J&K alongwith other officers went to all the injured individually and enquired about their well being. The DGP met the doctors treating the injured and impressed for all possible treatment for their early recovery. DGP wished for the speedy recovery of the injured persons.

The DGP J&K also visited and inspected the place of incident at Gate Number 3 in the Bhavan area. The officers briefed the DGP at the spot regarding the incident and the post incident management including rescue and maintenance of order in view of heavy rush.

Speaking to the media, the DGP said he was deeply saddened by the loss of twelve pilgrims and expressed his deep sympathy with the bereaved families and prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls. He said that those who were injured in the incident are reportedly responding very well and hopefully would be out of danger very soon. With regard to the incident, the DGP said that it was more of confusion where no one knowing what happened and everybody ran helter-skelter. He said that most of the deaths have taken place because of suffocation or people running over each other and added that most of the injuries have also taken place because of the same reason. He said that the things which led to the confusion are being looked into. He said that the crowd was managed very well by the people deployed on ground and the Yatra was restored.

As has been reported, twelve pilgrims died and thirteen others were injured in a stampede at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine last night. Soon after the incident, the J&K police alongwith CAPFs launched a rescue operation to evacuate the people and situation was brought under control. The injured were immediately shifted to hospital for treatment. (KNS)