At least seven people were killed and several others injured in a stampede-like incident at Ashokdham Temple in Lakhisarai, Bihar, on Monday morning after a sudden surge in the number of devotees.
Lakhisarai SDPO Shivam Kumar confirmed the death toll, while emergency rescue operations were launched soon after the incident.
Crowd surge triggers tragedy at Ashokdham Temple
According to Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar, the crowd at the temple swelled to an unprecedented level in the early hours of Monday.
The DM said two trains arrived at around 6:30-6:45 am, adding to the already large gathering of devotees.
Authorities had made arrangements anticipating a heavy turnout. However, the sheer volume of people resulted in intense crowd pressure.
The situation worsened when barricading on one side reportedly broke, causing people to fall over one another.
“We then came to know that the barricading broke on one side due to the crowd, and people fell on each other,” the district magistrate said.
Injured shifted to hospitals
Rescue teams and local authorities immediately responded to the incident. The injured were taken to nearby medical facilities for treatment.
Police and district administration officials remain at the site to manage the crowd and prevent any further untoward incident.
Authorities have begun an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. Further details, including the identities of those killed and injured, are awaited.
Earlier bus fire reported in Muzaffarpur
In a separate incident on August 12, a passenger bus travelling from Motihari towards Chhatarpur caught fire on the NH-27 Barji overbridge in Muzaffarpur at around 12:45 am.
According to Motipur Sub-Divisional Fire Officer Amrita Kumari, the fire was caused by a suspected short circuit. All 35 passengers were safely evacuated.
