Patna: A rumour that a live electric wire had fallen among devotees triggered a stampede at Ashokdham temple in Lakhisarai on Monday morning, leaving seven women dead and 15 injured during the third Somwari of the Shravan month. Three of the injured women devotees are reported to be in serious condition.The incident occurred around 6.40am when a pole collapsed near the men’s queue, triggering panic among devotees who had gathered in large numbers for prayer and ‘jalabhishek’.According to Lakhisarai district magistrate (DM) Shailendra Kumar, the pole collapse sparked a rumour that a live electricity wire had fallen on devotees.“In reality, it was just a cable wire for the dish/internet, not a live power line,” he said.Police said the panic caused a sudden surge in the crowd, with pressure from the men’s queue spilling into the women’s line. The barricading on the field side gave way under the pressure, causing devotees to fall on top of one another and resulting in a stampede.A devotee present in the queue said, “There was a huge crowd. Then news spread that a pole had fallen and there was current passing through the wire. People started running to save their lives. The barricading broke and people fell on each other, crushing women who died on the spot.”The deceased were identified as Hemlata Devi (55), Lalita Devi (50), Savita Kumari (35), Manmala Devi (44) and Savitri Devi (49), all from Lakhisarai district, besides Rinku Devi (50) of Munger and Saroj Devi (65) of Patna.Witnesses said the temple complex was packed with devotees waiting in queues for ‘jalabhishek’.“The administration had made crowd control arrangements from 3.30am itself as it was Monday. However, two trains arriving at Ashokdham station brought an unexpected surge of devotees. The temple was already crowded when the incident happened,” the DM said.He added that 15 injured people were immediately sent to a hospital by ambulance, where a team of doctors is treating them.The tragedy triggered expressions of grief from President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Samrat Choudhary.The CM, in a post on X, termed the Ashokdham tragedy “extremely sad and heart-wrenching.” He said, “I am distressed to hear about the death of devotees in the accident. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families.”Choudhary announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased and directed the administration to ensure immediate treatment for the injured.Former deputy CM and agriculture minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, who is an MLA from Lakhisarai, also reached the spot. He took stock of the situation from officials, inspected the site and met the injured in hospital. He gave necessary instructions to the administration.Ashokdham temple sees a huge rush every Monday of Shravan, with devotees from across Bihar and neighbouring states arriving to offer prayers and ‘jalabhishek’. This year’s third Shravan Monday drew an unusually large crowd, which officials said contributed to the tragedy.
