7 die in Indian temple stampede after electric wire snaps

A deadly stampede occurred at a Hindu temple in eastern India's Bihar state on Monday, resulting in the deaths of seven people and injuries to over a dozen others, officials reported. The incident unfolded near Ashok Dham Temple in Lakhisarai district as thousands of devotees assembled to offer prayers during the third Monday of Shravan, considered a sacred month in the Hindu calendar.

This period typically spans July to August and is centered around the worship of Lord Shiva, accompanied by fasting, prayers, and vibrant monsoon festivals across India.

Civil official Shailendra Kumar stated that the cause of the stampede remains under investigation. Kumar explained that a section of the barricades gave way due to the weight of the surging crowd, resulting in a crush where individuals fell upon one another. According to initial reports, an electric wire snapped outside the temple premises around 6:30 am, triggering panic among worshippers who feared electrocution.

Senior police officer Shivam Kumar confirmed that an electric pole reportedly collapsed, leading to the ensuing stampede. Rescue teams brought injured individuals to a nearby government hospital on stretchers, while relatives gathered outside the hospital.

During religious festivals, crowd crushes are not uncommon in India as large gatherings of people, sometimes numbering in the millions, occur in areas with limited safety measures or crowd control. In January, at least 30 people lost their lives when tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to bathe in a sacred river during the Maha Kumbh festival, the largest religious gathering in the world.

In 2013, a Hindu festival at a temple in central India saw at least 115 people crushed to death or drowned due to a bridge collapse fears.