Stampede reported at Sheetla Temple in Bihar's Nalanda; casualties feared

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like At least eight people were killed and 12 others sustained injuries following a stampede triggered by overcrowding at the Sheetla Mata Temple under Deepnagar police station of Nalanda in Bihar on Tuesday. The stampede reportedly broke out at a Sheetla Temple in Nalanda, Bihar (X/@chandan_jha_11)A large number of devotees had gathered at the temple to offer prayers, as Tuesdays traditionally draw heavy crowds. Eyewitnesses said eight women were among those killed. Being the last Tuesday of the Chaitra month, the turnout was significantly higher than usual. The incident spiralled when the devotees were trying to escape the stampede. Two of the deceased have been identified as Rita Devi (50), wife of Dinesh Rajak, and Rekha Devi (45), wife of Kamlesh Prasad, a resident of Mathurapur Noorsarai. The injured were rushed to the local hospital and later shifted to a bigger facility. The temple premises have since been cleared, and authorities have shut the premises and the associated fair following the incident. Bihar chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit has ordered a probe into the incident, and asked the Patna divisional commissioner and the range Inspector General to investigate the incident and file a report. Chief minister Nitish Kumar has announced a ₹6 lakh compensation each to the family of victims. Police said the personnel reached the spot hours later, as a large deployment had been diverted for the President’s security. Senior district officials, including the SDPO, rushed to the site soon after receiving information. The exact cause of the stampede is yet to be ascertained, though locals alleged inadequate police presence and poor crowd management. The temple, located in Maghra village about 5km from Bihar Sharif in Nalanda district, witnesses heavy footfall during Chaitra, particularly on Sheetla Ashtami, when devotees offer cold food prepared a day earlier and refrain from lighting stoves. Long queues are common on such occasions. Mamata Devi, a devotee, said, “It is always crowded here on Tuesday. People come for Sheetla Mata’s darshan. We too have come from Patna for darshan. But a stampede broke out, and people died. It happened due to mismanagement. An ambulance arrived but the administration had not shown up.” Another devotee, Reena Rai, said, “We came to know that a few people fell unconscious and a few others were injured. We also heard of a few deaths. The stampede occurred because nobody wanted to be in the queue and everybody wanted to have the darshan before everyone else. This was the last Tuesday of Chaitra. It is all due to mismanagement.” Lalit Kumar, a local resident, said, “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 people were trampled on and deaths occurred. People are also saying that there was no police there.” Bihar home minister Samrat Choudhary described the incident as extremely painful and expressed condolences. “I express my condolences to the families of all the devotees who lost their lives and were injured in this accident. All possible support and relief is being provided by the government to the affected families. Proper treatment of the injured has been arranged,” Choudhary said. Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered.Read More