7 killed, several injured in stampede at Bihar’s Ashok Dham temple

Seven devotees died, and more than a dozen people were injured after a stampede broke out at the Ashok Dham Temple in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district early on Monday (August 17).

The incident occurred at around 6.45 am, when a large crowd had gathered at the Shiva temple to offer prayers on the third Monday of the holy Shravan month. According to officials, an electric wire snapped and fell, causing panic among devotees. The rush that followed led to a stampede inside the temple premises.

Several devotees were caught in the rush and suffered injuries. They were taken to Lakhisarai Hospital for medical care.

"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.

Crowd swelled after trains arrived

Officials reached the temple soon after the incident and began managing the crowd and rescue operations. Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar said the crowd grew sharply after two trains arrived in the area between 6.30 and 6.45 am. He said the pressure from the gathering caused a section of the barricading outside the temple to give way.

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"The crowd swelled in an unprecedented manner. Around 6.30-6.45 am, two trains came here and added to the crowd. Arrangements were made as we had anticipated the crowd. 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," Kumar said.

The district administration had made arrangements after anticipating a heavy turnout for the religious occasion, added Kumar. The sudden increase in the number of devotees placed additional pressure on the barricades near the temple.

The administration continued crowd-control measures at the site after the stampede.

Security lapses alleged

According to an India Today report, a witness at the temple said that nearly 100 people allegedly forced their way past barricades near the entrance, sending the crowd into disorder as devotees were knocked to the ground.

He said security arrangements at the spot were insufficient. The area, he described, was a sloping passage where devotees were attempting to move through a bamboo barricade to enter the temple.

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Elaborating further, he stated that the people at the rear of the crowd began pushing those ahead. The pressure caused the barricade to collapse, leaving several devotees on the ground as others continued to move forward.

"There was no administration or security personnel there to manage the crowd. People were pushing each other to enter, and everyone who fell was being trampled on," the witness said, adding that his wife was caught in the surge. In the confusion that followed, he was also unable to find his daughter.

CM mourns deaths

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary mourned the deaths and described the incident as "extremely tragic and heart-wrenching."

He conveyed his condolences to the families of those who died. Choudhary also said officials had been instructed to provide timely medical care to those injured in the stampede.

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“The incident at Ashok Dham in Lakhisarai is extremely tragic and heart-wrenching. The news of the deaths of devotees in the accident has left my heart deeply distressed. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families,” stated the Chief Minister in a post on X.

“Necessary instructions have been issued to the administration for the proper and expeditious treatment of the injured. May God grant peace to the departed souls and a swift recovery to the injured,” he added.

Choudhary also announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of each deceased.

"The state government will provide a solatium grant of ₹4 lakh each to the immediate dependents of all the deceased in the heart-wrenching accident that occurred at Ashokdham Halt in Lakhisarai. In this hour of grief, the state government stands in complete solidarity and commitment with the bereaved families," stated the Chief Minister in another post.

The temple complex has witnessed a stampede before. On August 12, 2019, another stampede occurred at Ashok Dham during the Shravan month. One devotee died in that incident, while around 15 others suffered injuries.