Bihar temple stampede: 7 dead, several injured at Ashok Dham in Lakhisarai

Lakhisarai, Bihar: Seven devotees have died and more than a dozen others were injured in a stampede-like incident at Ashok Dham Temple in Bihar's Lakhisarai on Monday morning, as thousands gathered for prayers and Jalabhishek to Lord Shiva during the holy Shravan month.

Lakhisarai SDPO Shivam Kumar told ANI that seven casualties had been reported. He said an electric pole was reportedly involved in the incident, with people allegedly being electrocuted before a stampede-like situation followed.

“Seven casualties have been reported. It is being said that an electric pole fell there and people were electrocuted, which led to a stampede-like situation. We can tell you the exact reason only after verifying everything,” Shivam Kumar told ANI.

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed grief over the deaths, describing the incident as “extremely tragic and heart-wrenching”. He also said instructions had been issued to the administration to ensure proper and prompt treatment for those injured.

In a post on X, Choudhary offered condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the recovery of those injured.

“The incident at Ashok Dham in Lakhisarai is extremely tragic and heart-wrenching. The news of the deaths of devotees in the accident has left my heart deeply distressed. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families,” the Chief Minister said.

He added that the administration had been directed to ensure appropriate and expeditious medical treatment for the injured.

What happened at Ashok Dham Temple?

The incident happened as a large crowd of devotees gathered at the temple on the third Monday of Shravan, one of the busiest periods for Shiva temples.

According to reports, panic broke out after an electric pole reportedly fell near the crowded route leading to the temple. Reports of an electric shock or lightning strike are said to have triggered panic among devotees, leading to a sudden movement of the crowd and a crush.

However, the exact sequence of events is still being assessed by authorities.

Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar said the administration had made arrangements anticipating a large turnout, but the number of devotees became unprecedented. He said a section of the barricading gave way under the pressure of the crowd, causing people to fall over one another.

Witness describes how panic spread

A witness described the incident near Ashok Dham Halt railway station, where the temple queue had extended towards the station.

According to the witness, two trains stopped nearby while devotees were waiting in the queue. An electricity pole reportedly fell on the right side of the queue of male devotees, triggering panic after rumours spread that lightning had struck.

At the same time, pressure in the women's queue reportedly caused several women to fall over one another.

The witness said the chaos lasted for around two minutes but resulted in the deaths and injuries.

Emergency services, including ambulances and police personnel, were reportedly already present around 200 metres from the site. The injured were subsequently taken to Sadar Hospital and other nearby medical facilities.

Rescue operations launched

Police and administrative officials rushed to the temple after receiving information about the incident. Rescue operations were launched and the injured were shifted to hospitals for treatment.

Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation and assess the circumstances that led to the crowd crush.

The tragedy occurred during a particularly busy period at Ashok Dham, also known as Shri Indradamneshwar Mahadev Temple, a prominent Shiva shrine in Lakhisarai. The temple attracts large crowds during Sawan, with Mondays drawing particularly high numbers of devotees for prayers and Jalabhishek.

With agency inputs