50 Hurt in Khandwa Procession Fire
12 admitted to district hospital, three dozen leave after first aid.
Bhopal
Fifty people, including women and children, suffered burns when a fire raged out of control at an anti-terrorism torch procession in the district town of Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, late on Thursday evening.
The fire spread due to mishandling of the torches by the activists. The accident caused people to run helter-skelter to save their lives. The melee resulted in a stampede at the Ghanta Ghar, where the rally had culminated, according to journalists present in the area.
The injured were taken to the district hospital, where doctors discharged nearly three dozen people after first aid. At least 12 people remain admitted to the hospital where doctors are treating them for burns mostly on their faces and hands.
The torch procession was organised by the Rashtrabhakt Veer Yuva Manch in Khandwa, under the leadership of Ashok Paliwal, to drum up support against terrorism.
The procession was addressed by BJP legislator T. Raja from Hyderabad and BJP spokesperson and Supreme Court lawyer Nazia Khan from West Bengal. A tribute was also paid to the soldiers martyred in the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.
(Story based on media reports)
