8 Women Killed in Nalanda Temple Stampede
Crowd crush at Sheetla Mata shrine leaves several injured
- 8 women devotees killed in stampede at Nalanda temple
- Incident occurred at Mata Sheetla Temple
- Over a dozen injured amid heavy crowd on Chaitra Tuesday
- Govt assures relief, probe into mismanagement likely
GG News Bureau
Nalanda, 31st March: At least eight devotees, all women, were killed and more than a dozen injured in a stampede at the Mata Sheetla Temple in Bihar’s Nalanda district on Tuesday.
The incident occurred at Maghra village, around five kilometres from Bihar Sharif, as a large number of devotees had gathered for prayers on the last Tuesday of the Chaitra month, a day considered auspicious for worship.
Eyewitnesses said the temple परिसर was heavily crowded when chaos broke out, triggering a stampede. Several disturbing visuals from the spot showed devotees lying unconscious, with people attempting to revive them.
“There was a huge crowd. Suddenly people started running, and a stampede broke out,” a witness said, attributing the incident to mismanagement.
Another devotee alleged that there was inadequate administrative presence despite the expected rush.
Emergency services rushed to the spot, and the injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed grief over the loss of lives and assured all possible assistance to the victims and their families.
“The incident is extremely heartbreaking. The government is ensuring proper treatment for the injured and support to affected families,” he said.
Authorities are expected to review crowd management arrangements at the temple, as questions arise over safety measures during peak religious gatherings.
