KOPPAL: Surge of devotees at Huligemma Devi Temple at Huligi in Koppal raised alarm of crowd control going for a toss on Tuesday.
Shigi Hunnime (full moon day) is a special occasion and several devotees from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana visit the temple. Children and women were found wailing at the onrush of crowd. A few people suffered mild injuries in the rush.
Some devotees said there are no barricades or clearly demarcated queues at the temple premises. Several people were stuck in the premises for a long stretch of time. Videos of the crowd surge at the temple premises have been circulating on social media.
“Despite the expected crowd rush on the full moon day, roads have not been widened. Who will take responsibility if people die in the event of a stampede? We request the officials to take steps before tragedies happen,” a devotee said.
Koppal SP Ram Arasiddi inspected the spot and instructed the officials to ensure better crowd management.