A tragic stampede at the Sheetlaashtami Temple in Bihar’s Nalanda district claimed the lives of eight devotees, all of them women, and left more than a dozen others injured on Tuesday. The incident occurred in Maghra village, located about five kilometres from Bihar Sharif, during a day of heavy religious gathering.
The temple परिसर was thronged with devotees as the last Tuesday of the month of Chaitra holds special religious significance. Thousands had gathered to seek blessings of Sheetla Mata, leading to severe overcrowding. Eyewitnesses suggest that the situation quickly spiraled out of control, resulting in a deadly crowd crush.
Mamata Devi, a devotee who had travelled from Patna, described the chaos and alleged administrative lapses. “It is always crowded here on Tuesdays, but today the situation went out of hand. A stampede broke out due to mismanagement. People died, and the administration was nowhere to be seen,” she said, highlighting the lack of adequate crowd control measures.
Scenes from the site painted a grim picture of the aftermath. Disturbing visuals showed several women lying unconscious on the ground as panic-stricken devotees cried for help. In one instance, a man was seen attempting to revive a woman by performing CPR, while others tried desperate measures such as sprinkling water and calling out to those who had fainted. The air was filled with cries of anguish, with voices shouting “Mummy” and “Arey Maiyaa” echoing through the परिसर.
Emergency services were reportedly delayed in reaching the spot, further exacerbating the crisis. As ambulances began to arrive, locals and fellow devotees stepped in to assist the injured, rushing them to nearby hospitals.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed deep sorrow over the incident and extended condolences to the bereaved families. In a message posted on X, he termed the tragedy “extremely heartbreaking” and assured that the government is providing all necessary assistance and relief to those affected.
He also confirmed that arrangements have been made for the proper medical treatment of the injured and prayed for the peace of the departed souls. “May God grant strength to the grieving families and ensure the swift recovery of the injured,” he added.
The incident has once again raised serious concerns about crowd management and safety arrangements at religious gatherings, particularly during peak occasions. Authorities are expected to investigate the cause of the stampede and take measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
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