Police closed entry, exit points, says Superintendent of police
Police closed all the entry and exit points since they could not control the crowd
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-07-19 06:42 GMT
Rajahmundry: Superintendent of police G. Vijay Kumar, who revealed that AP CM N. Chandrababu Naidu left the Pushkar Ghat after he was informed that 11 people were killed in the stampede, said that the police closed all the entry and exit points since they could not control the crowd on both sides of the gates. He explained that the pilgrims on the outside of the gates were stranded for more than two hours and breached the barricades and entered the ghat.
He said that, there were loopholes in the preventive measures such as constructing the barricades and it was not sufficient to prevent a stampede. On the other hand, the pilgrims inside the gates on July 13 night onwards did not take the holy dip, aware that Mr Naidu would come to perform his religious duties at the same ghat and they also preferred to take a dip at the same auspicious Sumuhurtham i.e. 6.26 a.m. on July 14. This forced the police to close the gates. Mr Vijay Kumar added that he was lucky to escape the stampede.