Bihar: 7 dead, 16 injured in stampede at Baba Siddhanath Temple

A devastating stampede at the Baba Sidheshwar Nath temple in Bihar's Jehanabad district resulted in the deaths of 7 devotees and injured 35 others. The tragedy occurred during an annual consecration event.

A tragic stampede at the Baba Siddhanath temple in Bihar's Jehanabad district resulted in the deaths of seven devotees, including three women, with allegations suggesting that excessive force was used to manage the crowd. At least 16 others were injured in the incident on Baravar hills. Despite the severity of the incident, authorities have refuted any negligence claims. According to Diwakar Kumar Vishwakarma, Town Inspector of Jehanabad, seven bodies were received at the Jehanabad Post-mortem House for autopsy.

During the sacred month of Shravan, a large crowd of devotees had assembled at the temple for the annual consecration ceremony, which tragically ended in a devastating stampede. 

An eyewitness devotee recounted that the stampede was triggered when volunteers attempted to control a brawl involving a flower vendor by using force, resulting in a chaotic situation. The devotee alleged that there was no administrative presence to manage the crowd, exacerbating the situation.

The incident took place at Vanavar Hill in the Makhdumpur block. The injured were taken to hospitals in Makhdumpur and Jehanabad. The temple was crowded due to the fourth Monday of the holy Sawan month. 

The incident occurred just weeks after over 120 people died at a religious gathering in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras. It happened at a congregation dedicated to Baba Narayan Hari, also known as 'Bhole Baba.' According to the administration, the organizers had obtained permission for 80,000 attendees, but the actual turnout was much larger, resulting in a stampede.