New Delhi, Saturday, January 15, 2011: The Centre has declared the Pulmedu stampede as a national tragedy, in which 102 devotees were killed and 50 injured at Pulmedu in Vandiperiyar. Defence Minister AK Antony said that the Centre would do everything possible to help identify the victims.

Antony has offered to the Kerala government all the help from defence forces for rescue operations. A special team of the National Disaster Response Force has left for the spot.

State Ports Minister V. Surendran Pillai, who reached the Vandiperiyar hospital early Saturday, said that the number of victims, including those injured, are currently being ascertained. Leader of opposition Oommen Chandy, who cancelled his statewide yatra after the accident, also visited the Vandiperiyar hospital. He said that a detailed probe has to be launched to find out what led to this tragedy.

Director General of Police Jacob Punnoose who visited the hospital said that to reach the accident site is a laborious task because there is only a narrow road that leads to the site. ‘Since it is pitch dark in the area, rescue operations is taking a lot of time,’ said Punnoose.
Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan has directed the Idukki district administration to provide speedy relief to the injured.

Most of the victims who perished in the tragedy were from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, who returning home through the forest route after Makarajyoti darshan at the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa last evening.

State DGP Jacob Punnoose confirmed the death toll as 102. ” We have recovered all bodies by rescue work conducted overnight despite heavy mist and the remoteness of the hilly terrain”, he said.

The tragedy occurred when a jeep carrying pilgrims ran into a crowd and fell to the ground, killing some of the people on the spot and paving the way for the stampede, rescuers said.