Bengaluru, Jan 30 (PTI): Bodies of the two devotees who died in the stampede at the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela have been handed over to their respective families after their mortal remains arrived at the Belagavi airport on Thursday evening, officials said.
The bodies of Aruna Khorpad (61) and Mahadevi Hanamant Bavanur (48) have been handed over to their families, they said.
Among the deceased also include - Jyoti Deepak Hattavar (44) and her daughter Megha Deepak Hattavar (24), the bodies of whom will arrive in Belagavi by midnight, the officials said.
"Among those who died at the Kumbh Mela, the bodies of two individuals have already arrived at Belagavi airport and have been handed over to their families. The bodies of the remaining two have reached Goa airport and will be transported by road to Belagavi by midnight," a senior official from the revenue department said.
Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting at Vidhana Soudha, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda expressed condolences to the families of the deceased on behalf of the government.
"The government has already borne all the expenses incurred in sending the bodies of the deceased from Delhi to Belagavi. Will also provide appropriate compensation. However, no compensation is equal to the loss of life. The government sympathises with the families," he said.
He said the department has received many calls on its helpline number which was opened to know about the whereabouts of those who went to the Mela from the state.
"Our officials are already in Delhi and are busy making all necessary arrangements for the tourists from Karnataka who were caught in the tragedy. Meanwhile, calls have also been received on the department's helpline. Based on that phone call, we have contacted those who went to the Kumbh Mela and most of them have been contacted".
"The phone of one of them who went to the Kumbh Mela from the Isha Foundation is ringing, but he is not answering the call. Therefore, the search for him is also ongoing," he said.
The minister also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for not sharing timely details about those injured or died in the tragedy from the state.
"How many devotees from Karnataka have gone to the Kumbh Mela? Out of these, how many were involved in the tragedy? How many were injured? How many died? We have not received any information from the Uttar Pradesh government so far," he alleged.
"Therefore, Karnataka IAS officer Harshal Boyal himself went to the Kumbh Mela site, visited the local hospital there and is checking whether people from our state are injured," he explained.
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Surendranagar, Feb 23 (PTI): Five tourists from West Bengal were killed and five others injured in a road accident in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district on Sunday, police said.
The accident occurred on a national highway around 4.30 pm near Navi Morwad village in Limbdi taluka, said JN Gamara, sub-inspector of Chuda police station.
A group of tourists from Bengal were travelling in a tempo traveller when the vehicle crashed into a dumper, he said. They were returning after visiting places like Diu and Gir and had their flight from Ahmedabad two days later, the official said.
Two women and three men died on the spot and five others were rushed to a hospital at Sayla in the district for treatment, he said.
The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, he added.