- The stampede occurred at Sheetlaashtami Temple in Maghra Village during a crowded Tuesday gathering
- Disturbing pictures from the accident site showed scores of women lying unconscious on the ground
- Devotees blamed mismanagement for the chaos amid the heavy crowd
Eight devotees, all of them women, were killed and over a dozen injured in a crowd crush at a temple in Bihar's Nalanda on Tuesday.
The stampede took place at Mata Sheetla Temple in Maghra Village, which is nearly five kilometres from Bihar Sharif in Nalanda district. As this was the last Tuesday of the month of Chaitra, a massive crowd of devotees had gathered at the temple.
"It is always crowded here on Tuesday. People come for Sheetla Mata's darshan. We too have come from Patna for darshan. But a stampede broke out, and people died. It happened due to mismanagement...An ambulance has reached here. It is so crowded here. Administration is not here," Mamata Devi, a devotee, said.
"Arey maiyaa (Oh dear god)," a woman could be heard wailing amid the chaos.
A family running for cover
"Mummy," screamed another.
Disturbing pictures from the accident site showed scores of women lying unconscious on the ground.
In one of the pictures, a man, crouching at the head of a woman, is seen giving her CPR. Another woman pats an unconscious woman's face, pushes her three fingers inside her mouth, then sprinkles water on her face in an effort to revive her.
"Aaj bheed laga tha. Kisi karanvash bhagdad ho gayi. Sab kuch pooja path sahi chal raha tha. Bheed kaafi tha. Log idhar udhar bhagne lage (There was a large crowd today. For some reason, a stampede broke out. Everything related to the prayers and rituals was proceeding smoothly, and the crowd was substantial. People began running helter-skelter)," said Avinash Kumar, a witness.
"Bheed toh bahut tha (There were a lot of people)," he said, without specifying a count, when asked about the number of people who had come to visit the temple.
"Barcading bhi tha (There was barricading as well)," the witness said, when asked if the security arrangements were lax.
People running for safety
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent his condolences to the families of the victims.
"The mishap in Nalanda district, Bihar, is deeply painful. I extend my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Prayers for the speedy recovery of those injured," the Prime Minister's Office said.
PM Modi announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the familes who lost a member. The injured will be given Rs 50,000, he said.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's office said that Chief Minister is "deeply saddened" over the incident.
"Nitish Kumar has expressed his condolences over the deaths of devotees in the stampede that occurred at the Sheetla Devi Temple in Bihar Sharif, Nalanda district. The Chief Minister stated that he is deeply saddened and heartbroken by this incident," the Chief Minister's office said in a statement.
The Chief Minister has announced a financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh from the Disaster Relief Fund for the families who have lost a loved one and another Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister's fund.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary condoled the loss of lives in the stampede.
"The tragic stampede incident at the Mata Sheetla Temple in Nalanda is extremely heartbreaking. I express my condolences to the families of all the devotees who lost their lives and were injured in this accident," the Deputy Chief Minister posted on X.
The Deputy Chief Minister stressed that the government is providing every possible assistance and relief to the affected families.
Arrangements have been made for the proper treatment of the injured, he said.
"May God grant peace to the departed souls and provide strength to the grieving families during this hour of sorrow. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured," he added.
