Stampede at Sheetla Mata Temple in Bihar’s Nalanda Leaves 8 Feared Dead, Several Injured Amid Overcrowding

A large number of devotees had gathered at the temple to offer prayers, as Tuesdays traditionally draw heavy crowds. The situation spiralled when the devotees were trying to escape the stampede, leading to panic and loss of life within the temple premises.

Two of the deceased have been identified as Rita Devi (50), wife of Dinesh Rajak, and Rekha Devi (45), wife of Kamlesh Prasad, a resident of Mathurapur Noorsarai.

The injured were rushed to a local hospital and later shifted to a bigger facility for further treatment. Following the incident, the temple premises have been cleared, and authorities have shut the premises along with the associated fair to prevent further risk.

Senior district officials, including the SDPO, reached the site to take stock of the situation, while the exact cause of the stampede is yet to be ascertained.

Eyewitness accounts indicate the intensity of the situation. Mamata Devi, a devotee, said, “It is always crowded here on Tuesday. People come for Sheetla Mata’s darshan. We too have come from Patna for darshan. But a stampede broke out, and people died”.

Another devotee, Reena Rai, said, “We came to know that a few people fell unconscious and a few others were injured. We also heard of a few deaths".

Lalit Kumar, a local resident, said, “It is Mahavir Jayanti and Tuesday today, so there was a huge crowd there. The barricades broke, and suddenly a stampede occurred. People are saying that people were trampled on and deaths occurred. People are also saying that there was no police there.”

Bihar home minister Samrat Choudhary described the incident as extremely painful and expressed condolences, stating that all possible support and relief are being provided by the government to the affected families, and proper treatment of the injured has been arranged.

The incident underscores the severe risks posed by overcrowding during religious gatherings, raising urgent concerns about crowd management and safety measures at major पूजा sites, especially on significant days such as Mahavir Jayanti.