At least 7 killed in Bihar’s Ashokdham Temple stampede; ‘Women fell on each other’

At least seven devotees were killed and 12 others injured in a stampede at the Indramaneshwar Temple in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district on Monday as a large crowd gathered to offer prayers on the third Somvari of the Hindu month of Shravan. Most of those killed were women.

The stampede occurred around 6:40am as devotees attempted to enter the Ashokdham temple, one of Bihar’s prominent Shiva shrines. Officials said the crowd became uncontrollable after some youngsters allegedly tried to push through the queue, breaking barricades installed by police to regulate the movement of devotees.

Lakhisarai district magistrate Shailendra Kumar said women standing in the queue fell over one another after the barricades gave way. He said security personnel were deployed to manage the heavy rush and the situation was brought under control.

What caused the Bihar stampede?

Officials said a large crowd had gathered at the temple, with estimates putting the number of devotees at around 50,000. Witnesses, however, blamed inadequate crowd management and said rumours about an electric current in a pole triggered panic, prompting devotees to run.

Police said the crowd had become restless and people began jostling before the situation was brought under control. Another officer said devotees had been arriving since Sunday night, with the queue stretching for more than six kilometres. Pilgrims reportedly waited around four hours to enter the temple.

The injured were taken to Lakhisarai Sadar Hospital for treatment. Officials said some devotees had also fallen ill due to extreme humidity and suffocation caused by overcrowding.

Bihar CM expresses grief

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed grief over the deaths and described the incident as “extremely tragic and heart-wrenching”. He offered condolences to the families of the deceased and directed officials to ensure immediate and proper medical treatment for those injured.

Latest in series of stampedes

The incident comes amid a series of deadly crowd-related tragedies at religious gatherings in India. Earlier this year, a stampede at Sheetla Mata Temple in Bihar’s Nalanda district left eight people dead and 12 injured.

In January 2025, at least 30 people were killed in a stampede during the Prayag Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. Around the same time, six people died and 35 were injured in a stampede near the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati.

In July 2024, around 121 people died after a massive crowd surged towards a preacher in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district. In January 2022, 12 devotees were killed in a stampede at the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir.

About Ashokdham Temple

Ashokdham, also known as Indradamneshwar Mahadev Temple, is a prominent Lord Shiva shrine in Lakhisarai. The temple complex includes shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Nandi and Goddess Durga.

The temple draws particularly large crowds during Sawan and Shivratri, when devotees visit to offer prayers and perform rituals dedicated to Lord Shiva.