A video of Girnar/Bhavnath mandir and Bhavnath fair in day time

Junagadh, 19 February 2012

Six persons are dead in an incident of stampede at Junagadh’s Bhavnath fair on Sunday evening.

Among those dead are three gents, two women and one child. One lady from Mansa whose surname is Rawal is identified so far.

Dead bodies of those died in stamped are taken to Civil hospital.

According to primary detail available, the incident of stamped happened on a road stretch between Paanj naka and Damodar kund after State Transport bus halted on a road due to problem in break, and subsequent traffic jam that could not be solved for a long time.

More than two dozen people injured in this incident are taken to Civil hospital in Junagadh for treatment.

During stamped, some people run towards the jungle and hill area. Police and forest department staff is searching for them.

Five-day long Bhavnath fair is going on in foothills of mount Girnar presently. Today was the fourth day.

Bhavnath fair attracts as many as one million devotees during five-day fair. It is the largest annual mass gathering in Gujarat.

At the time of stamped there were over two and half lakh people in the fair.

Gujarat govt has announced Rs 1 lakh relief to relatives of those died in this incident.

Government has ordered probe into this incident.

Additional Chief Secretary(ACS) Shri Varun Maira will head the probe.

Medical teams are moved from Rajkot.

More police teams are moved to Junagadh from Rajkot for Mahashivaratri on Monday when highest number of visitors visit the fair.

Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi on Twitter said, “the stamped in Junagadh is unfortunate. Have constituted high level inquiry and announced Rs 1 lakh compensation for families of victims.”

Shri Modi further said, “the situation is under control and we assure that all help is extended at the spot.”

Meanwhile the Junagadh Municipal Corporation has also announced compensation of Rs 1 lakh to relatives of the victims.

A narrow road to Bhavnath fair: Photo by Bhati N