2011 Sabarimala stampede
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Sabarimala stampede was a human stampede
on 14 January 2011 at Sabarimala
in Kerala
, India
. It broke out during an annual pilgrimage
, killing 106 pilgrims and injuring about 100 more.). The pilgrims were returning from a Hindu
shrine on the last day of a yearly festival which attracts millions of devotees. It began after a Jeep
toppled over.
The two month long pilgrimage, which had started in , had been mostly incident-free before this stampede.
, Karnataka
, Tamil Nadu
and Kerala
. There are various versions of the accident as reported in various newspapers and television reports. The victims were going back home through the forest after Makara Jyothi
darshan
, thought to be a celestial phenomenon on the hill shrine of the Hindu god Ayyappan
. The stampede was reportedly caused by an SUV which blocked the path, possibly after breaking down. When moved it may have overturned and caused people to stumble, triggering the stampede or by too many people running down the hill towards the road where there was already a pack of vehicles. There is a version of an accident between an autorickshaw and a Jeep. The real trigger of the incident remains a mystery given the fact that the spot where the stampede occurred is an open field.
announced a judicial inquiry into the stampede tragedy and also announced a grant of 500,000 for families of each of the victims. Prime minister of India Manmohan Singh
offered condolences for the deaths and announced a compensation of 100,000 to the next of kin of the dead and 50,000 for those injured. A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
was sent to the scene. Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi
announced 1,00,000 to the family of each victim from Tamil Nadu.
Stampede
A stampede is an act of mass impulse among herd animals or a crowd of people in which the herd collectively begins running with no clear direction or purpose....
on 14 January 2011 at Sabarimala
Sabarimala
Sabarimala is a Hindu pilgrimage center located in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta District in Kerala. It is the largest annual pilgrimage in India with an estimated 45–50 million devotees visiting every year. Sabarimala is believed to be the place where the Hindu God Ayyappan...
in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It broke out during an annual pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
, killing 106 pilgrims and injuring about 100 more.). The pilgrims were returning from a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
shrine on the last day of a yearly festival which attracts millions of devotees. It began after a Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
toppled over.
Background
It is the worst recorded accident to have occurred in Sabarimala. On 14 January 1952, 66 Ayyappa pilgrims were burnt to death when two fireworks sheds caught fire, while on the same day in 1999, 52 pilgrims were killed following a stampede during their return after witnessing the Makarajyothi at pamba.The two month long pilgrimage, which had started in , had been mostly incident-free before this stampede.
Stampede
The incident happened around 8 p.m. local time. Most of the dead were from the states of Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. There are various versions of the accident as reported in various newspapers and television reports. The victims were going back home through the forest after Makara Jyothi
Makara Jyothi
Makara is the name of a zodiac sign in Indian languages known as Capricorn in English. "Jyoti" means "light" in Sanskrit. Thus "Makara Jyoti" means "Light of Capricorn"....
darshan
Darshan
or Darshan is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" , vision, apparition, or glimpse. It is most commonly used for "visions of the divine" in Hindu worship, e.g. of a deity , or a very holy person or artifact...
, thought to be a celestial phenomenon on the hill shrine of the Hindu god Ayyappan
Ayyappan
Ayyappan is a Hindu deity worshiped in a number of shrines across India. Ayyappan is believed to be an incarnation of Dharma Sastha, who is the son of Shiva and Vishnu . The name "Ayyappan" is used as a respectful form of address in the Malayalam language, spoken in the Indian state of Kerala...
. The stampede was reportedly caused by an SUV which blocked the path, possibly after breaking down. When moved it may have overturned and caused people to stumble, triggering the stampede or by too many people running down the hill towards the road where there was already a pack of vehicles. There is a version of an accident between an autorickshaw and a Jeep. The real trigger of the incident remains a mystery given the fact that the spot where the stampede occurred is an open field.
Relief efforts
Kerala Chief Minister V. S. AchuthanandanV. S. Achuthanandan
Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of the state of Kerala. He had been a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India since 1985, and until July 2009, when he was reverted to the Central Committee of the party owing to his...
announced a judicial inquiry into the stampede tragedy and also announced a grant of 500,000 for families of each of the victims. Prime minister of India Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
offered condolences for the deaths and announced a compensation of 100,000 to the next of kin of the dead and 50,000 for those injured. A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
The DM Act, 2005 has made the statutory provisions for the constitution of the National Disaster Response Force for the purpose of specialized response to natural and man-made disasters...
was sent to the scene. Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi
M. Karunanidhi
Muthuvel Karunanidhi is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the head of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. He has been the leader of the DMK since the death of its founder, C. N...
announced 1,00,000 to the family of each victim from Tamil Nadu.