At least eight women died and six others were injured in a stampede-like situation at the Sheetala Mata temple in Bihar Sharif, India, on Tuesday morning. The incident occurred during a large gathering of devotees on the last Tuesday of the Chaitra month.
Stampede at Sheetala Mata Temple
The stampede took place in the Maghra area of Nalanda district, within the Deepnagar police station area. A sudden rumour triggered panic among the large crowd of devotees who had gathered at the temple since early morning, leading to a chaotic surge.
Several people fell and were trampled as panic spread, resulting in eight fatalities and six injuries. The injured were transported to a government hospital in Bihar Sharif for treatment.
Lalit Kumar, a local resident, told news agency ANI, “It is Mahavir Jayanti and Tuesday today, so there was a huge crowd there. The barricades broke, and suddenly a stampede occurred. People are saying that there was no police there.”
Another devotee from Patna told ANI, “We could not even go in. Deaths occurred there, following which we were sent away. A lathi charge also took place.”
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives, calling the incident “extremely tragic.” He announced an ex gratia of Rs 6 lakh for the families of each deceased—Rs 4 lakh from the Disaster Management Department and Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Kumar stated that senior officials have been dispatched to the site to oversee relief and rescue operations, and authorities have been directed to ensure proper medical care for the injured.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary described the incident as “extremely heartbreaking” and extended condolences to the affected families. He affirmed the government’s commitment to providing all possible assistance and relief, including ensuring adequate treatment for the injured.
Meanwhile, Bihar is preparing to host President Droupadi Murmu, who is scheduled to arrive in Rajgir on Tuesday to attend the second convocation ceremony of Nalanda University as its Visitor and chief guest. The ceremony will involve 617 graduating students from 31 countries.
A similar tragedy occurred last November in Srikakulam district, where nine people, including eight women and a 13-year-old boy, died in a crowd surge during Karthika Ekadashi celebrations at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple. That event involved an estimated 25,000 devotees, exceeding the shrine’s capacity.
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