Seventeen people were hospitalised on Friday following an stampeded after allegedly being struck by an electric shock while standing in queue for darshan at Hasanamba temple in this district, police said.
Several people were standing in between the barricades used to manage the crowd and suddenly a few of them felt an electric shock, which they alleged came through the iron barricades, following which they raised an alarm, police said.
This resulted in a commotion, prompting people to run for safety.
Devotees blamed the negligence of the district administration for the incident. It is said that a lighting wire had snapped and touched the barricade and people suffered electric shock.
“Seventeen people were moved out of the barricades and the rest of them are all fine. All the 17 people, including women, were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital. While four among them sustained injuries, the rest of them were hospitalised as they complained that they suffered an electric shock while standing in between the barricades,†Hassan Superintendent of Police Mohammed Sujeetha told PTI.
The officer clarified that there was no stampede and it was just a commotion.
Police said it was not clear if people indeed suffered an electric shock.
“Officials from CESC (Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited) are analysing the ground situation. A few women suffered minor injuries in the commotion and were hospitalised. They are all safe. Nothing to worry,†she said.
Among the 17 admitted, five of them have already been discharged and the rest of them are doing fine, she added. A few minutes after the incident, the situation returned to normal and devotees were allowed darshan.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and several ministers and political leaders had visited the temple in recent days.
