Hasanamba temple: Electric shock triggers minor stampede, 22 people injured

Twenty-two people sustained injuries in a minor stampede, following an incident of mild electric shock, while having darshan at Hasanamba temple in the city on Friday afternoon.

Five of the injured were discharged after treatment, while 17 are undergoing treatment in the district hospital. The injured include a woman who suffered a fracture in the shoulder.

According to officials, an LED screen was installed amid the queue. An electric wire had come in contact with the metal barricade. Two to three people who came in contact with the barricades experienced mild electric shock.

However, the incident spread panic among people who started running out of fear. They fell on each other resulting in a stampede. However, locals acted swiftly and rescued them. The injured were immediately shifted to the district hospital.

According to an eyewitness, the incident was announced in the public address system. The authorities should have set right the issue without making an announcement, he said.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who was in the city for the darshan of the deity, visited the district hospital and took stock of the situation.

Speaking to reporters later, Rao said, “It is true that there was an incident of electric shock. But, most of them were injured in the stampede, as the devotees started running out of fear”.

There are no cases of major injuries, the minister said and added that a woman from Nelamangala had suffered a fracture in the shoulder and another woman was in shock. Both are recovering. People should not be given wrong information. There was no major disaster, he added.

The officials will conduct a probe and a report will be submitted. Action will be taken based on the report, Rao said.

MLAs K M Shivalingegowda, Swaroop Prakash and MP Prajwal Revanna visited the hospital and enquired about the health of the injured.