8 women devotees killed in stampede at Bihar temple
What's the story
A stampede at the Sheetla Mata temple in Bihar's Nalanda district on Tuesday claimed the lives of eight women. The incident occurred as a huge number of devotees had gathered for prayers on the last Tuesday of the Chaitra month, a day when attendance is usually high. The chaos that ensued led to several women being crushed in the rush to escape.
Aftermath
Over a dozen devotees injured
In addition to the fatalities, over a dozen people were injured in the stampede. The injured devotees have been rushed to Sadar Hospital for treatment. After the incident, the temple premises were cleared and a large number of police personnel reached the spot to control the situation. Senior district officials including Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) also rushed to the scene after receiving information about this tragic event.
Ongoing probe
Authorities begin probe into incident
The exact reason behind the stampede is still not known. However, reports suggest that there might have been insufficient police presence or security arrangements at the temple. Disturbing pictures that have surfaced showed multiple women lying unconscious on the ground. Lalit Kumar, a local told ANI, "It is Mahavir Jayanti and Tuesday today, so there was a huge crowd there. The barricades broke, and suddenly a stampede occurred." "It is all due to mismanagement," a devotee, Reena Rai, said.
Twitter Post
Visuals from the site
#WATCH | Bihar: A stampede occurred during puja at Maa Sheetla Mandir in Maghra village of Nalanda. Injuries reported, deaths feared. More details awaited.
— ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2026
Visuals from the spot as an ambulance reaches here. pic.twitter.com/1UU0kwN6OA
Probe
Probe ordered
The Bihar government has directed the Chief Secretary to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the event and issued directions to guarantee proper medical care for those affected. Officials have also been tasked with restoring normalcy at the temple as soon as feasible. The Patna Commissioner has been sent to Bihar Sharif to monitor the situation.