Two pilgrims were killed and four others injured after boulders fell on devotees climbing the stairway to the Kalika Mata Temple atop Pavagadh hill in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district early on Friday, police said.
The victims were struck by falling rocks between 5am and 6am near Patiya Bridge (Patiyapul) as they were making their way to the hilltop shrine. Officials said two bodies were recovered from the debris, while the injured were shifted to a hospital in Halol for treatment. The deceased were residents of Kheda district.
Police suspect continuous heavy rainfall in the region over the past few days caused soil erosion, dislodging large rocks that crashed onto the pilgrimage route.
The Kalika Mata Temple, one of the 51 Shaktipeeths, is situated at an elevation of around 800 metres. Pilgrims can reach the shrine either by climbing nearly 2,000 steps or by using the Udan Khatola ropeway.
Vidhi Chaudhary, deputy inspector general of police, Godhra Range, said the region had been witnessing heavy rain since Thursday night. Many devotees begin their ascent in the early hours to reach the temple before the 5am aarti, and the affected group is believed to have started climbing around 2am.
The pilgrims had taken shelter beneath a large boulder during the downpour, but the same boulder, along with others, later gave way and fell on them, she said.
“Two persons died and four were injured. The four are stable. They have a minor fracture but no major issues,” DIG Chaudhary said.
She added that the injured are undergoing treatment at a hospital and are not in a serious condition.
The police officer noted that the hilly terrain around Pavagadh remains vulnerable to rockfalls during the monsoon season.
