NEW DELHI: A tragic stampede at the Baba Siddhnath Temple in Bihar’s Jehanabad district claimed the lives of at least seven people and left nine others injured early Monday morning. The incident, which occurred at the Vanavar hill of Makhdumpur block area, was reportedly triggered by a brawl involving a flower seller, according to an eyewitness.
Manoj, who was present at the temple just minutes before the stampede, described the chaotic scene that unfolded. “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 pulled me out of there,” said Manoj, who sustained minor injuries.
He added that the police presence was lacking at the temple, which contributed to the situation spiralling out of control. “The incident happened due to a stampede. The police were nowhere to be seen at the spot; they were deployed along the route,” Manoj told reporters.
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Following the stampede, the injured were rushed to hospitals in Makhdumpur and Jehanabad for treatment. The district magistrate of Jehanabad, Alankrita Pandey, confirmed that the situation is now under control.
Jehanabad SHO Divakar Kumar Vishwakarma informed the media that both the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police visited the scene to assess the situation. “A total of seven people have died…We are meeting and inquiring about 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,” he stated.
A further investigation into the incident is ongoing.