Stampede at Madhda Sheetla Temple in Nalanda Leaves Eight Dead

Patna: Eight women lost their lives in a tragic stampede at the Madhda Sheetla Temple in Nalanda district, Bihar, as a massive surge of devotees led to a fatal crush. Several others sustained injuries in the incident. The Bihar government has ordered an inquiry into the tragedy.

A large number of devotees had begun gathering at the temple from the early hours of Tuesday, and the crowd swelled rapidly within minutes. Many people fell to the ground and were trampled by other worshippers in the chaos that ensued. The injured were rushed to the government hospital at Bihar Sharif, where they are currently undergoing treatment.

Complaints have emerged that an insufficient number of police personnel were deployed at the temple to manage the crowd. Eyewitnesses also reported that a lathi charge was carried out as the situation spiralled out of control and people began to flee in panic.

The Prime Minister's Relief Fund has announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh for the families of each of the deceased and ₹50,000 for each of the injured. The Bihar government has separately announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹6 lakh to the families of those who lost their lives.