Lakhisarai (Bihar): A sudden panic triggered by a falling electric wire turned into a deadly stampede at the Ashok Dham Temple in Lakhisarai district on Monday, leaving seven devotees dead and injuring more than a dozen others.
The mishap unfolded at about 6.45 am, when hundreds of pilgrims had converged on the Shiva shrine to offer prayers on the third Monday of Shravan, one of the busiest days of the month-long holy period.
Initial accounts suggest that the snapping or falling of an overhead wire near the temple route sparked alarm among the crowd, which quickly snowballed into a rush and then a stampede on the temple premises, as reported by India Today.
Several people were trapped in the surge and sustained injuries; they were rushed to Lakhisarai Sadar Hospital for treatment, officials said.
‘Crowd became unprecedented’: DM
Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar said that while arrangements had been made in anticipation of a heavy turnout, the actual crowd size exceeded expectations. He said a section of the barricading collapsed under the pressure, leading to people falling over one another.
“We came to know that barricading broke out on one side due to the crowd and people fell on each other. We rushed 10-15 people here immediately,” Kumar said.
Witness: Crowd Surged With No Security In Sight
A witness at the spot told Aaj Tak, India Today’s sister channel, that nearly 100 individuals allegedly surged past barricades close to the temple gateway, resulting in disorder as pilgrims collapsed and were crushed under the rush a sloping passage.
He alleged that security and crowd management were inadequate at the location. According to him, devotees were trying to enter through a bamboo barricade when those behind began pushing, causing the barricade to give way and several people to fall.
“There was no administration or security personnel there to manage the crowd. People were pushing each other to enter, and everyone who fell was being trampled on,” the witness said.
He said his wife was trapped in the surge and that he could not find his daughter in the chaos following the stampede.
A Repeat Of Past Tragedy
The Ashok Dham Temple complex has witnessed stampedes before. On August 12, 2019, also during Shravan, one devotee was killed and around 15 others were injured in a similar incident.
