India temple stampede kills seven, leaves 19 injured
A large crowd had gathered at the temple in Lakhisarai district to pay respects to the Hindu deity Shiva when the incident occurred.
Officials said the situation quickly became chaotic after a rumour spread that an electric pole had fallen inside the temple premises.
The rumour caused people in the crowded area to panic and move suddenly, leading to a deadly crush.
Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar confirmed that seven people had died and 19 others were injured.
“The situation is under control now,” Kumar said, adding that the injured were receiving treatment at hospitals.
Rumour triggers panic among devotees
Officials said the incident was not caused by the reported collapse of an electric pole. Instead, the rumour about the pole appears to have triggered fear among people inside the crowded temple.
When large numbers of people begin moving quickly in a confined area, controlling the crowd can become extremely difficult.
The latest incident once again raises concerns about safety arrangements at major religious gatherings in India, where thousands of people often gather at the same location.
Authorities are expected to examine how the crowd was managed and whether additional safety measures could have prevented the deaths.
The identities and detailed conditions of the victims were not immediately provided by officials.
Bihar government announces compensation
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary described the incident as “heart-wrenching” and announced financial assistance for the families of those who died.
Each victim’s family will receive 400,000 Indian rupees, equivalent to about $4,180, according to the announcement.
The government is also dealing with the medical needs of those injured in the incident.
Nineteen people were reported to be undergoing treatment after the stampede. Authorities had not immediately provided a detailed breakdown of their conditions.
The incident has caused concern among local residents and visitors because the temple was crowded with devotees at the time.
Officials said the immediate situation had been brought under control after the stampede.
Also Read: Iranian drones target Kurdistan PM’s office in Erbil attack
Stampedes remain a recurring problem
The tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly crowd incidents reported at religious and public gatherings across India.
In November last year, nine people died during a stampede at a temple in Andhra Pradesh. Another crowd crush at a political rally in Tamil Nadu last year resulted in 36 deaths.
One of the country’s deadliest recent crowd disasters occurred in Uttar Pradesh in 2024.
Around 120 people were killed during a religious sermon attended by thousands of devotees. The disaster renewed calls for better crowd-control planning at large public gatherings.
Such incidents can develop within minutes when a large crowd is packed into a limited space.
Experts and officials have repeatedly stressed the importance of controlled entry and exit points, emergency routes, trained security personnel and clear communication with visitors.
