Police said most of the devotees who were pulling the chariot were drunk, the chariot was overloaded with people, and the wheels were not installed properly. [break]SSP Bijayalal Kayastha, the chief of Metropolitan Police Crime Division, Hanumandhoka, said, “After the mishap we talked to the Jatra organizers and eyewitnesses and have arrived at the conclusion that the incident happened due to negligence.”
Though selling of alcohol has been strictly banned in the area during the festive period, most of those pulling the chariot were found drunk, SSP Kayastha said. He said as the chariot pullers were drunk, there was no coordination among them and the chariot lost balance leading to the incident.
There is a tug of war between the chariot pullers from the eastern side of the chariot and the western side and each side wants to take the chariot to its area as legend has it that the winning side is blessed with good luck in the year ahead.
PHOTO: DIPESH SHRESTHA
Surya Ram Tha, a culture expert, said, "Due to lack of awareness, people die and suffer injuries during the festival each year. Some conservative people even see the deaths as sacrifice to Lord Bhairav but this is wrong."
He also stressed the need for coordination between the chariot pullers and criticized the organizers for the lapses.
Police said not more than 16 people are allowed to board the chairot at one time but there were more people on the chariot when the mishap happened.
Two devotees each had died during the festival in 2010 and 2012 but still no preventive measures were used to prevent repetition of such mishaps, SP Dilip Kumar Chaudhary, Chief at Metropolitan Police Range Office, Bhaktapur, said. He said the police are planning to hold talks with the stakeholders and local organizers of the festival to prevent such mishaps in the future.
PHOTO: DIPESH SHRESTHA
The deceased have been identified as Rukesh Silakar, 18, of Taumadhi and Dhirendra Silpakar, 22 from Jela. Police said most of those injured have already returned home after treatment.
The festival is set to conclude on April 18, so police said they are working to prevent further accidents.
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