“Uncontrollable Crowd”: 7 Killed, Many Injured in Stampede at Bihar Temple

At least seven devotees died and several others suffered injuries after a stampede-like incident occurred outside Ashok Dham Temple in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district on Monday.

The incident occurred during heavy crowds on the third Monday of Sawan, when thousands of devotees gathered to offer prayers at the temple. Officials said two trains arrived between 6:30 and 6:45 am, which further increased the number of worshippers near the temple. Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar said the unprecedented crowd pressure caused a barricade to collapse, making several devotees fall over one another. An electric pole also collapsed near the men’s queue, creating panic among the worshippers.

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Panic Over Fallen Wire Triggers Stampede

Officials said a cable wire, rather than a live electric wire, fell with the pole. However, rumours quickly spread that a live wire had fallen on people, causing panic and forcing the crowd toward the women’s queue. The sudden pressure caused several women to fall over one another, creating a stampede-like situation that lasted only a few minutes. Police and administrative teams had maintained security arrangements at the temple since 3 am, but the situation escalated suddenly.

Rescue teams immediately reached the site and shifted injured devotees to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. Sub-Divisional Police Officer Shivam Kumar said preliminary reports suggested that the fallen electric pole triggered the panic, but authorities would establish the exact cause after verifying all facts. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary described the incident as extremely tragic and directed officials to provide proper and prompt treatment to all injured devotees. He also announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh for the family of each person who died in the tragedy. The Ashok Dham Temple, also known as Shri Indradamaneshwar Mahadev Temple, houses a large Shivalinga and attracts thousands of devotees, especially during the holy month of Sawan.

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