Bihar Stampede
Bihar temple tragedy: Massive 'Sawan' crowd turns deadly, 7 pilgrims died in stampede-like incident
At least seven pilgrims died in a stampede-like incident outside the Ashok Dham Temple in Bihar's Lakhisarai district on Monday.
According to reports, the incident was triggered by rumours that a live electric wire had fallen into the crowd after an electric pole collapsed.
The temple was witnessing a huge rush of pilgrims due to the holy month of Sawan, which holds significant religious importance for Hindus.
Police and other officials rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Expressing grief over the tragedy, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary wrote on X: "The incident at Ashok Dham in Lakhisarai is extremely tragic and heart-wrenching."
लखीसराय के अशोकधाम की घटना अत्यंत दुःखद एवं हृदयविदारक है।
— Samrat Choudhary (@samrat4bjp) August 17, 2026
हादसे में श्रद्धालुओं की मृत्यु की खबर से मन व्यथित है। शोक संतप्त परिवारों के प्रति मेरी गहरी संवेदनाएं हैं।
घायलों के समुचित एवं त्वरित इलाज के लिए प्रशासन को आवश्यक निर्देश दिए गए हैं। ईश्वर दिवंगत आत्माओं को शांति…
He added that the news of devotees losing their lives had left him "deeply distressed" and offered his condolences to the bereaved families.
"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 said.
Commenting on the incident, Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar told India Today that arrangements had been made in anticipation of a large turnout, but the crowd became "unprecedented".
"We came to know that barricading broke out on one side due to the crowd and people fell on each other. We rushed 10-15 people here immediately," Kumar said.
A witness at the site told the news channel that around 100 people allegedly pushed through the barricades near the temple entrance, triggering chaos as devotees fell over one another.
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