Mumbai Stampede!!!

18 people killed in a stampede near Malabar Hill in Mumbai

At least 18 people were killed and nearly 60 injured in a stampede 

that broke out in the early hours of Saturday near the Malabar 

Hill residence of Dawoodi Bohra spiritual leader Dr Syedna 

Mohammed Burhanuddin, who died on Friday morning.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh told reporters, "The 

incident is very unfortunate. We have deployed extra forces here. 

We didn't expect this huge crowd."

Zainulabedeen Zainuddin, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin's 

nephew told  "Crowds thronged here. We have our own 

system of security as well. I would say it was a controlled and 

managed chaos rather than anything else."

The police say the number of devotees who turned up were at least 

three times than what was expected. As the gates closed at 1:30 

am, people rushed towards the entrance. Those who were in front 

were trapped and died of suffocation. Around 60 people, who 

suffered injuries, were treated and discharged, while another 

three are still in hospital. 

But soon after the focus shifted to the funeral which was held in 

the presence of a sea of people who converged from all over the 

world. Dr Syedna was laid to rest right beside the grave of his 

father. 

Zainulabedeen Zainuddin, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin's 

nephew told  "When the news came it spread like wild fire 

and people from all over the world tried to get here. When I came 

here I saw people who had come from Europe and London. People 

came from other parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle East. 

People came from the Far East and some came from the US as 

well."

Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, spiritual head of the Dawoodi 

Bohra community, died after a cardiac arrest on Friday. He was 

102. He was credited with transforming the community. Dr 

Syedna's son, Syedna Mohammed Saifuddin has succeeded him as 

the leader of the community.