Wednesday, January 26 2005 12:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Wai (Maharashtra): Altogether 258 people were killed in stampede and fire during a religious ceremony at Mandradevi shrine in Wai yesterday (Jan 25, 2005), officials said today (Jan 26, 2005), insisting the toll was unlikely to cross 260.

While 257 people had died at Satara, one person died in a hospital in Pune, Satara District Collector Subharao Patil said. Earlier reports had put the death toll at over 300.

Patil said that the killed included 87 men and 156 women. The rest were children.

At least 55 bodies were yet to be identified, he said adding 10 bodies might have been taken by the kin of the deceased without informing authorities.

The Collector said 40 injured had been admitted to Mission Hospital in Satara and 38 to Rural Hospital. Most of them had been discharged, he said.

The State Government had sanctioned an ex-gratia relief of Rs one lakh to each bereaved family and Rs 25,000 to each seriously injured, Patil said.

A total of 124 bodies of those killed in stampede at Mandradevi shrine, have been identified and handed over to their relatives, police said.

Several of those injured were given first-aid before being discharged.