Karnataka temple tragedy: Two more dead

Mysuru: Heartrending scenes were witnessed near the mortuary of Mysuru Medical College and Research Institute (MMCRI), here after two more people who had consumed prasada on Friday at Kichugutti Maramma temple in Chamarajanagar district, died on Sunday.

Their bodies were handed over by the police to relatives after the autopsy. 

Both the deceased belong to Chamarajanagar district and died at Apollo hospital in Mysuru where they were being treated following which their bodies were shifted to the MMCRI mortuary for the autopsy. 

With this, the total toll in the tragedy has touched 13 who include four women and two children. 

Mr Bharateesh Reddy, Vice President, BGS Apollo hospitals, said that despite the best of efforts, 40-year-old Saalamma from Bidralli breathed her last in the early hours of Sunday at 1.30 am while 35-year-old Mageshwari from MG Doddi died at 8 am on Sunday.  Sharavana, brother of Saalamma, told Deccan Chronicle, “My sister had taken my two daughters. 8-year-old Sumgali and 9-year-old Rajeswari along with her to Maramma temple on Friday and all three had consumed prasada. My two kids are in a critical condition at Suyog hospital in Mysuru. She leaves behind an ailing 20-year-old son at home and there is no one now to take care of him. My sister's husband Murugesh passed away six months ago and her daughter got married recently.”  

Murugesh husband of the other deceased, Mageswari of MG Doddi cried, “My wife has left me and our two daughters who are 14 and 12-years old and a 10-year-old son. She had been to offer pooja at Maramma temple after coming here from Om Shakthi temple in Melmaruvathur in Tamil Nadu and consumed the lethal prasada.” Both the deceased were cremated at their respective villages in Chamarajanagar district amidst the wails of grieving relatives.  Meanwhile, the cook who prepared prasada at the temple in Sulavadi, Puttaswamy is also being treated at KR Hospital. 

He had fed his daughter prasada and later had it himself. His 12-year-old daughter, Anitha, died on Friday.  

8 in very critical condition
As many as 91 patients of Friday's temple prasada tragedy in Chamarajanagar are being treated  at different hospitals in Mysuru with 27 of them in a critical condition while eight are very critical, disclosed Health Minister Mr Shivanand Patil. 

On the lack of medical facilities to treat patients in case of an emergency in districts like Chamarajnagar, the minister said,   “We are ugrading Chamarajnagar district hospital while Rs 127 crores has been allotted for upgradation of KR Hospital in Mysuru and Rs 37 crores has already been released. Fourteen district hospitals are being upgraded as medical colleges. 54 ventilators and 180 ambulances are being provided. The vacancies of doctors were not filled from 2015 and we have appointed 236 MBBS doctors and 182 post-graduate doctors. As many as 1,400 posts of post-graduate doctors are vacant and we are planning to recruit doctors on the waiting list during KPSC selection." 

Private hospitals in Mysuru continue to extend support to the patients though there is no written assurance from the government on refunding the expenses.  Except for 30 patients who are being treated at KR Hospital, the rest are in private hospitals. Mr Bharateesh Reddy, Vice President, BGS Apollo hospital said, "Presently we are treating 12 patients and four of them are on ventilator support. In fact we had to rent four additional ventilators from Bengaluru.” 

Meanwhile, Hanur MLA Narendra confirmed that there was a dispute between two groups of priests at Sulavadi. The issue went to court and both the Kollegal court and the high court ruled that the existing priests would continue to perform pooja at the temple. The temple had become popular in recent times after its income increased.