Stampede at Bihar temple claims 7 lives, leaves dozens injured

New Delhi, Aug 12: At least seven people were killed, and dozens of others injured after a stampede broke out at the Baba Siddhnath Temple in Makhdumpur, located in Bihar’s Jehanabad district.

The stampede occurred during a consecration event at the temple, which was part of the annual celebrations during the holy month of Shravan. According to officials, the situation has now been brought under control. Jehanabad District Magistrate Alankrita Pandey confirmed, “The situation is now under control,” as reported by PTI.

The deceased include three women, and the number of injured individuals is reported to be at least 35, with victims being treated at local hospitals in Makhdumpur and Sadar.

Town Inspector Diwakar Kumar Vishwakarma stated that seven bodies had arrived at the Jehanabad Post-mortem House, and efforts to identify the deceased are ongoing. Visuals from the scene showed grieving families mourning their loved ones and injured individuals receiving medical attention.

Reports suggest that the stampede may have been triggered by the use of force to control the crowd. A relative of one of the victims claimed that volunteers engaged in crowd management used “lathis” (sticks) on the devotees, which led to the stampede.

NDTV reported that a devotee present at the temple alleged that the volunteers resorted to lathi charge after a fight erupted involving a flower-seller, further exacerbating the chaos. The devotee also claimed that no one from the administration was present at the time of the incident, and blamed the police administration’s negligence for the tragedy.

This incident is the latest in a series of stampedes that have occurred in India, particularly at religious congregations. IN July 2024, at least 120 people, mostly women, died in a crowd crush in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh at a religious gathering for the guru, Bhole Baba.

In recent years, several stampedes at religious events have resulted in significant casualties. For instance, in 2016, a stampede during the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad claimed the lives of 36 people, and in 2013, a similar incident during the Navratri festival in Madhya Pradesh led to the deaths of 115 people.

These incidents often highlight the challenges of crowd management during large gatherings, especially at religious sites, where the surge of devotees can quickly become overwhelming. Yet another stampede incident reminds us of the need for improved safety measures and better crowd control strategies during such events.