In a tragic incident at the Baba Sidheshwar Nath temple in Jehanabad, Bihar, seven devotees, including three women, lost their lives in a stampede. The incident occurred during a consecration event, which is held annually in the holy month of Shravan. The stampede reportedly broke out after volunteers allegedly used lathis to control the crowd.
Authorities have denied any negligence, with Diwakar Kumar Vishwakarma, the Town Inspector of Jehanabad, confirming that seven bodies had been received at the local post-mortem house.
Visuals from the scene showed heartbroken families mourning their loved ones, while the injured were rushed to Makhdumpur and Sadar hospitals for treatment.
According to eyewitnesses, the stampede was triggered by poor crowd management, with some alleging that National Cadet Corps (NCC) volunteers used force on the devotees. A devotee at the scene claimed that the lathi-charge began after a scuffle involving a flower-seller and added that no administrative personnel were present at the time.
Local residents fear that the death toll may rise, while authorities continue to refute claims of negligence, with Vikash Kumar, the sub-divisional officer (SDO) of Jehanabad, denying that NCC volunteers used lathis on the crowd.
