Our Bureau
Patna
Nine devotees, mostly women, died in a heartbreaking stampede at Sheetla Mata Temple in Bihar’s Nalanda district on Tuesday. Over a dozen others got hurt as crowds swelled for prayers on the last Tuesday of Chaitra month.
The chaos hit at Sheetlaashtami Temple in Maghra village, about five km from Bihar Sharif. Thousands rushed for darshan of Sheetla Mata, a popular goddess. Tuesdays always draw big crowds, but this time things went out of control due to overcrowding during morning rituals. Devotees panicked and ran, leading to the deadly crush.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called the incident “extremely tragic” and felt deep grief. He announced Rs 6 lakh aid for each victim’s family including Rs 4 lakh from Disaster Management Department and Rs 2 lakh from his relief fund. Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed it a “deeply painful mishap” and also promised compensation.
Police and officials rushed to the spot and oversaw relief work.
A probe has started. Teams are checking CCTV footage and Forensic Science Laboratory experts are inspecting the site. Authorities fear the toll may rise as rescue goes on.
This sad event shows the need for better crowd management at temples. Families mourn as Bihar prays for no more such losses.
