Seven Killed, Nine Injured in Bihar Temple Stampede

At least seven people were killed and nine others injured in a stampede at Baba Siddhnath Temple in Makhdumpur, Jehanabad district, Bihar, on early Monday morning. The stampede occurred at Vanavar Hill in the Makhdumpur block during the fourth Monday of the holy Sawan month, which saw a large number of visitors at the temple. The authorities promptly rushed those injured to hospitals in Makhdumpur and Jehanabad.

“At least seven people died and nine were injured in a stampede at Baba Siddhnath Temple in Makhdumpur of Jehanabad district. We are monitoring everything and now the situation is under control," said District Magistrate Alankrita Pandey.

Following the stampede, both Pandey and the Superintendent of Police visited the site to assess the situation. The police are actively working to identify the bodies of those dead. “DM and SP visited the spot, and they are taking stock of the situation... A total of seven people have died... We are meeting and inquiring about the family members (of the people dead and injured). We are trying to identify the people who have died; after this, we will send the bodies for a post-mortem," said Jehanabad Station House Officer Divakar Kumar Vishwakarma.

Sub-Divisional Officer Vikas Kumar described the incident as “sad”. “It is a sad incident... All the arrangements were tight, we are taking stock of the situation and then will further inform you about this," said Kumar.

This incident follows a similar tragedy in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras, where over 120 people died in a stampede at a religious gathering of godman Narayan Hari earlier in July. The Hathras event, intended for 80,000 devotees, saw a much larger turnout, leading to the fatal stampede.​