At least seven people were killed and nine others were injured after a stampede broke out early Monday (Aug 12) at the Baba Siddhnath Temple in the Indian state of Bihar. The temple is located in Makhdumpur, Jehanabad district.
Speaking to the news agency ANI, Jehanabad DM (District Magistrate) Alankrita Pandey said, “At least seven people died and nine were injured in a stampede at Baba Siddhanath Temple in Makhdumpur, Jehanabad district. We are monitoring everything and now the situation is under control.”
#WATCH | Jehanabad stampede incident | Bihar: Victim’s relative says, “I got to know about the incident through a phone call. We reached the hospital by 8 in the morning. The treatment is underway…” pic.twitter.com/FGmGz2D6qv
— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2024
Another district official told the news agency that DM Pandey and the police visited the incident site and were taking stock of the situation. “We are meeting and inquiring the family members (of the people dead and injured)…We are trying to identify the people (who have died), after this we will send the bodies for post-mortem…,” the official said.
What led to the stampede?
This Monday is the fourth Monday of the holy Sawan month and the temple had a massive crowd of devotees, a report by the Business Standard said. An eyewitness said that a dispute occurred just before the stampede.
#WATCH | Manoj, an eyewitness to the stampede at Baba Siddhnath Temple in Bihar’s Jehanabad, says, “…Had the Administration worked well, the flower seller would not have picked a fight. There was a brawl. It happened right before us. So many of us were trapped there, someone… pic.twitter.com/Z92keGsnhI
— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2024
“Had the administration been more vigilant, the flower vendor wouldn’t have engaged in a quarrel. A fight broke out right before us. Many of us were trapped in the crowd, and someone managed to pull me out just in time. If I had been stuck there for another minute or two, I might have died,” the witness said and pointed out that there was no police presence at the scene.
Oppn blames authorities for the incident
The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar blamed Jehanabad authorities for Monday’s tragic incident at the Baba Siddhnath Temple.
“This is a sad incident and the people responsible for this are Jehanabad’s SP and DM. Jehanabad district administration is responsible for this incident,” RJD MLA Kumar Krishna Mohan told ANI.
“We will meet the injured and the family of the deceased. We will take this issue forward. Compensation should be given. They (administration) have killed people here…,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
Harshit Sabarwal
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