Bihar: Stampede at Jehanabad Temple Claims Seven Lives, Dozens Hurt

In a heart-wrenching incident at the Baba Sidheshwar Nath temple on Baravar hills in Bihar's Jehanabad district, seven devotees, including three women, lost their lives in a stampede late Sunday night. The tragedy occurred as a large crowd gathered for a consecration event, held annually during the holy month of Shravan. The stampede also left at least 35 others injured, some of whom were rushed to Makhdumpur and Sadar hospitals for treatment.

Force was used to manage the crowd

According to reports from the scene, the stampede was allegedly triggered after force was used to manage the crowd, though local authorities have denied any negligence on their part. Diwakar Kumar Vishwakarma, Town Inspector of Jehanabad, confirmed that seven bodies had been received at the Jehanabad Post-mortem House.

Visuals from the area show grief-stricken families mourning their loved ones, while the injured are being attended to by medical staff.

NCC volunteers resorted to a lathi-charge

Eyewitness accounts suggest that the chaos began when National Cadet Corps (NCC) volunteers, engaged in crowd control, reportedly resorted to a lathi-charge after a scuffle broke out involving a flower-seller. One relative of a victim stated, "Those present at the temple said there was a stampede due to lack of arrangements by the administration. Some NCC volunteers engaged in crowd management used 'lathis' on the devotees, which led to the stampede." There are growing concerns among locals that the death toll could rise.

SDO denied allegations

In contrast, Vikash Kumar, the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Jehanabad, firmly denied these allegations. He stated, "Nothing like that happened. This was an unfortunate incident. There was strict vigil. Adequate arrangements including force (NCC), civil deputations, and medical teams were made. We will give more details after the post-mortem."

Dispute among kanwariyas escalated into a scuffle

Further clarifying the situation, District Magistrate Alankrita Pandey attributed the stampede to a dispute among kanwariyas (pilgrims) that escalated into a scuffle.

Pandey said, "We are keeping an eye on everything and the situation is under control now."

Jehanabad SHO Diwakar Kumar Vishwakarma said, "The DM and SP have gone to the spot and are assessing the situation. A total of 7 people have died."

He said, "We are meeting their (deceased and injured) family members and taking information. Efforts are being made to identify the deceased. After this we will send the bodies for post-mortem."

The incident has cast a pall of sorrow over the region, raising questions about the effectiveness of the crowd management strategies employed during such large-scale religious events. As the community mourns, authorities are expected to provide further details following the completion of post-mortem examinations.