What caused stampede at temple in Nalanda, Bihar?
What's the story
A stampede occurred on Tuesday at the Maa Sheetla Mandir in Maghra village, Nalanda district of Bihar, which left eight devotees, all women, dead and over a dozen people injured. According to local reports and eyewitness accounts cited by ANI, the stampede took place when a large crowd gathered for darshan on Mahavir Jayanti, which also fell on a Tuesday.
Witness reports
Eyewitness accounts of stampede
Reena Rai, a devotee at the temple, told ANI that "a few people have fallen unconscious and a few others are injured." She also mentioned hearing about some deaths. Another resident, Lalit Kumar, said there was a huge crowd due to Mahavir Jayanti coinciding with Tuesday. He added that barricades broke, leading to the stampede, and claimed there was no police presence at the scene.
Emergency response
Ambulances seen rushing to the temple
The combined factors of the special occasion and a lack of crowd control likely caused the stampede. Ambulances were seen rushing to the temple after the incident. Reports of people fainting and being trampled spread among those present at the site. 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.