New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each person who died in the unfortunate incidents in Bihar’s Lakhisarai and West Bengal’s Birbhum.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that those injured in the incidents would receive ₹50,000 each.
₹2 Lakh For Lakhisarai Stampede Victims
The announcement came after a stampede at the Ashok Dham temple in Lakhisarai, Bihar, claimed seven lives and left several others injured.
Expressing grief over the incident, PM Modi said he was pained by the loss of lives and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families. He also wished the injured a speedy recovery.
The stampede occurred as a large number of devotees gathered at the temple to offer prayers and perform rituals on the third Monday of the holy month of Sawan.
According to the PMO, the next of kin of each deceased will receive ₹2 lakh, while each injured person will be given ₹50,000.
Birbhum Hotel Fire Death Toll Rises To Seven
In West Bengal’s Birbhum district, the death toll from a fire at a hotel in Tarapith rose to seven, police said.
The PMO separately announced ₹2 lakh for the family of each deceased and ₹50,000 for those injured in the incident.
Birbhum District Police Superintendent Vidit Raj Bundesh confirmed that hotel owner Kalyan Paul had been arrested. The police are investigating whether the hotel had adequate firefighting arrangements and complied with fire safety regulations.
Police Probe Hotel Exit, Fire Safety Claims
The fire broke out at the hotel, named Bideshini, near Tarapith Police Station at around 5 a.m. on Monday.
Several residents reportedly alleged that a rear exit door was closed, preventing them from escaping. Hotel owner Paul, however, claimed that panic among the residents caused them to fail to locate the rear exit and that they attempted to escape through the reception area.
Police are examining both versions as part of the investigation.
The fire department’s initial assessment suggested that a short circuit may have caused the blaze. Smoke reached the fifth floor, while the fire was reportedly confined mainly to the first floor and partly to the second floor.