<div>Scattered sandals, broken flag poles and crushed water bottles bore testimony to the tragedy that struck Varanasi on Saturday.<br /><br />At least 24 were killed and over 100 injured in the stampede on the overcrowded Rajghat bridge. Several others are reported missing, sources said. Eyewitnesses said there were rumours that the bridge had developed cracks and was about to collapse. People panicked and began to run on the narrow bridge, and in the process many were trampled and hurt.<br /><br />There were thousands of devotees on the bridge when the accident occurred, sources said, adding that the deaths were caused due to suffocation. Around 20 women were killed, many of whom were in their 50s. <br /><br />Sources said that the disciples had started thronging Varanasi in the wee hours of Saturday and within a few hours, the roads leading to the venue, which lay on the bank of the Ganga, were jammed. The nearest route to the venue passed through the narrow Rajghat bridge. Eyewitnesses said that the one-km bridge resembled a sea of humans around noon with no visible police presence. The injured were admitted to nearby community health centres and hospitals at Ramnagar in Chandauli as well as in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. <br /><br />Officials said it was a challenge to carry out rescue operations owing to the presence of a large number of devotees on the bridge. The incident also triggered a massive traffic jam in Varanasi, as a result of which senior officials had a harrowing time in reaching the spot.<br />Chaos prevailed as ambulances and other vehicles were unable to move owing to the traffic snarls on both sides of the bridge.<br /><br />Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the victims and directed authorities to provide free treatment to the injured.<br /><br />A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the tragedy, sources said here. The prime minister said in a tweet that he had spoken to the district officials and asked them to expedite relief and rescue operations.<br /><br />Cops admit failure <br /> <br />Varanasi Inspector General of Police S K Bhagat said the organisers had taken permission for only 3,000 people to attend the programme, but around three lakh devotees had assembled there. <br /><br />The organisers, however, claimed that they had informed the police that around two lakh people would attend the programme. <br /><br />Police officials in Chandauli and Varanasi admitted that the local intelligence unit failed to anticipate the crowd and as a result, did not make necessary arrangements. <br /><br />“The sudden surge of crowd took us by surprise and by the time the administration swung into action, it was too late,” a senior police officer told DH.<br /><br />Baba Jai Gurudev, known for preaching a simple life, urged his disciples to wear clothes made of jute and give up their lives of luxury and comfort. He died in 2012. His driver, Pankaj Yadav, inherited all the property, according to a will left behind by the godman.</div>
<div>Scattered sandals, broken flag poles and crushed water bottles bore testimony to the tragedy that struck Varanasi on Saturday.<br /><br />At least 24 were killed and over 100 injured in the stampede on the overcrowded Rajghat bridge. Several others are reported missing, sources said. Eyewitnesses said there were rumours that the bridge had developed cracks and was about to collapse. People panicked and began to run on the narrow bridge, and in the process many were trampled and hurt.<br /><br />There were thousands of devotees on the bridge when the accident occurred, sources said, adding that the deaths were caused due to suffocation. Around 20 women were killed, many of whom were in their 50s. <br /><br />Sources said that the disciples had started thronging Varanasi in the wee hours of Saturday and within a few hours, the roads leading to the venue, which lay on the bank of the Ganga, were jammed. The nearest route to the venue passed through the narrow Rajghat bridge. Eyewitnesses said that the one-km bridge resembled a sea of humans around noon with no visible police presence. The injured were admitted to nearby community health centres and hospitals at Ramnagar in Chandauli as well as in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. <br /><br />Officials said it was a challenge to carry out rescue operations owing to the presence of a large number of devotees on the bridge. The incident also triggered a massive traffic jam in Varanasi, as a result of which senior officials had a harrowing time in reaching the spot.<br />Chaos prevailed as ambulances and other vehicles were unable to move owing to the traffic snarls on both sides of the bridge.<br /><br />Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the victims and directed authorities to provide free treatment to the injured.<br /><br />A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the tragedy, sources said here. The prime minister said in a tweet that he had spoken to the district officials and asked them to expedite relief and rescue operations.<br /><br />Cops admit failure <br /> <br />Varanasi Inspector General of Police S K Bhagat said the organisers had taken permission for only 3,000 people to attend the programme, but around three lakh devotees had assembled there. <br /><br />The organisers, however, claimed that they had informed the police that around two lakh people would attend the programme. <br /><br />Police officials in Chandauli and Varanasi admitted that the local intelligence unit failed to anticipate the crowd and as a result, did not make necessary arrangements. <br /><br />“The sudden surge of crowd took us by surprise and by the time the administration swung into action, it was too late,” a senior police officer told DH.<br /><br />Baba Jai Gurudev, known for preaching a simple life, urged his disciples to wear clothes made of jute and give up their lives of luxury and comfort. He died in 2012. His driver, Pankaj Yadav, inherited all the property, according to a will left behind by the godman.</div>