• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. Seven devotees died in Ashok Dham Temple stampede.
  2. Crowd surge and fallen pole triggered panic.
  3. Rumors of live wire caused further chaos.

At least seven devotees were killed and several others injured after a stampede broke out outside Bihar’s Ashok Dham Temple in Lakhisarai on Monday morning. While initial reports suggested that panic over a fallen electric pole and rumours of electric shock triggered the stampede, a devotee pointed towards a different chain of events.

A devotee present at the spot described how pushing into the queue caused people to fall.

“There were women standing in a queue. Around 10-12 women pushed their way in and started pushing us. We fell, and around 20-25 women fell on top of one another. Many fainted after getting trapped under the crowd. This happened because there was a huge rush,” PTI quoted the devotee.

The incident took place on the route from Ashok Dham Halt railway station to the temple, where thousands of devotees had gathered for ‘Jalabhishek’ on the third Monday of Sawan. According to the officials, overcrowding caused the incident.

ALSO READ: Bihar Stampede: 7 Dead Outside Lakhisarai's Ashok Dham Temple During Sawan Rush, Over 8 Injured

How The Stampede Unfolded

According to Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar, the crowd suddenly increased between 6:30 am and 7 am after two trains arrived at Ashokdham Halt simultaneously, adding a large number of devotees to the already crowded area.

“The crowd swelled in an unprecedented manner. Around 6.30-6.45 am, two trains came here that too added to the crowd. Arrangements were made as we had anticipated the crowd,” the DM said.

The DM said the queue of devotees had extended up to Ashokdham Halt, where the two trains stopped. Around the same time, an electric pole located on the right side of the men’s queue fell.

Barricading Broke Due To Crowd Pressure

Explaining how the accident unfolded, the DM said the crowd pressure caused one side of the barricading to break, following which devotees fell over one another.

“We then came to know that the barricading broke on one side due to the crowd, and people fell on each other. We rushed 10-15 people here immediately,” he said.

The DM said the entire incident happened within two minutes. Police personnel had been deployed in the area since 3 am, but the situation escalated suddenly.

Rumour of Live Wire Sparked Panic Among Devotees

After the pole collapsed, rumours spread among pilgrims that a live electric wire had fallen on people and that devotees were being electrocuted. However, officials later clarified that the fallen wire was a cable wire and not an electricity wire.

“When the pole collapsed, rumours spread that a live wire had fallen on people, but it was actually a cable wire. This created pressure on the line of women on the left, causing them to fall on top of each other,” Lakhisarai DM Shailendra Kumar said.

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The panic caused devotees to push and move suddenly, creating heavy pressure on the women’s queue.

“Seven casualties have been reported. It is being said that an electric pole fell there and people were electrocuted, which led to a stampede-like situation. We can tell you the exact reason only after verifying everything,” SDPO Shivam Kumar told ANI.

The injured were shifted to Lakhisarai Sadar Hospital and other nearby medical facilities. Officials said the number of casualties was still being ascertained.


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