"People Jumped Over Others, Ran Over Children": Haridwar Stampede Witness

The Mansa Devi temple, a popular pilgrimage site in the holy city of Haridwar in Uttarakhand, was witness to a deadly stampede this morning. Six people died while dozens were injured. A sudden crowd surge and an apparent rumour over an "electric current" have emerged as potential causes that led to the stampede.

An eyewitness broke down on camera while narrating the events before the stampede. "We had gone for darshan. The temple's main gate was closed since there was a huge crowd inside. People ran from that direction, and they jumped over each other. They ran over my head and our children. There were bodies scattered," she said.

Another injured devotee, who is from Bihar, said a huge crowd had suddenly gathered at the temple. As people tried to jostle their way out of the crowd, he fell and fractured his hand. "People fell down while trying to run," he recounted.

The stampede occurred on the staircases on the temple road leading to the main shrine. Visuals later showed injured devotees being taken to the hospital in ambulances and several others undergoing treatment. Bodies were also seen at the stampede site.

The tragedy unfolded during the auspicious Hindu month of Sawan, which witnesses a rush of devotees at all pilgrimage points in the city. Haridwar is also a major destination for Shiv devotee Kanwariyas who visit the city to collect water from the Ganga during this time.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is in touch with the local authorities and closely monitoring the situation. His government has also announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the victims and Rs 50,000 for those injured.