Tragedy strikes: stampede at northern India temple leaves 35 injured
by Ekta ChaubeyA stampede occurred at the Baba Sidheshwar Nath temple in northern India’s Bihar, reportedly after force was used to manage the crowd.
The incident took place at the temple on Baravar hills in Jehanabad district on August 11.
Visuals showed the grieving families mourning their losses, with the injured being treated in hospitals and transported in ambulances. Relatives of the victims were seen crying and blaming the administration for failing to maintain order.
According to reports, seven devotees, including three women, lost their lives, and 35 others were injured in the stampede. However, authorities have denied any negligence. Diwakar Kumar Vishwakarma, Town Inspector of Jehanabad, confirmed that seven bodies had arrived at the Jehanabad Post-mortem House.
The devotees had gathered for a consecration event held annually during the holy month of Shravan.
Eyewitnesses claimed that the stampede occurred due to inadequate arrangements by the administration, with some National Cadet Corps (NCC) volunteers allegedly using ‘lathis’ (sticks) on the devotees, sparking the chaos. However, Vikash Kumar, Sub-divisional Officer (SDO) of Jehanabad, denied that NCC volunteers used lathis to control the crowd.