Hindu temple deaths shock Indian Church

( January 18, 2011) Church leaders in Kerala have expressed shock and grief at the death of 102 pilgrims during a stampede at a Hindu temple in the southern Indian state. The tragedy occurred on Jan. 14 at the Sabarimala hilltop temple dedicated to god Ayyappa. Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council President- Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Trichur said the stampede was most unfortunate and said he shared his profound grief with the bereaved. Stating that the tragedy could have been avoided the archbishop told ucanews, he has called on the government to take appropriate steps to avoid future tragedies. “It’s not the time for a blame game. But the tragedy should be an eye-opener for the government and police,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bishop Mathew Arackal of Kanjirapally told ucanews that all churches in Kerala offered special prayers for the dead on Sunday and shared the sorrow of families who lost loved ones. The Hindu temple comes under the diocesan territory and Bishop Arackal said his diocese offered all possible help to the injured. Some 700 parishioners in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital, held a candlelight vigil on Monday to pray for the victims.
Most of the victims were from the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. More than 30 million people from all over India and abroad visited the temple during this year’s pilgrimages.