Disasters & Incidents
India temple stampede kills at least seven in Bihar
A stampede at the Ashok Dham Hindu temple in Bihar state's Lakhisarai district killed at least seven people and injured 19 others on Monday, officials said.
A large crowd had gathered at the temple to pay homage to the Hindu deity Shiva. District magistrate Shailendra Kumar told AFP the stampede was triggered after rumours spread that an electric pole had fallen on devotees inside the temple premises.
Kumar said the situation was under control and that about 19 injured people were receiving hospital treatment.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary called the incident “heart-wrenching” and announced compensation of 400,000 rupees, or about $4,180, for the family of each victim.
India has seen several fatal crowd crushes in recent years, including a 2024 disaster in Uttar Pradesh in which 120 people were killed during a religious sermon attended by thousands of devotees.
Uncertainty notes
It is not established whether an electric pole actually fell; the stated trigger was rumours that one had fallen.
The death toll was reported as at least seven and may be subject to update.
Source
AFP news report published on .