India
oi-Prakash KL
At least seven women were killed and 14 others injured in a stampede near the Ashok Dham temple in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district on Monday.
Thousands of people visit Ashok Dham, one of the oldest Shiva temples in Bihar, to offer prayers on the auspicious Mondays of the Shravan month in the Hindu calendar.
A stampede near Bihar’s Lakhisarai Ashok Dham temple on Monday killed seven women and injured 14, reportedly caused by overcrowding and a fallen pole, prompting political criticism regarding safety measures.
Speaking to ANI, Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar explained the cause of the incident. He said, “The incident took place at around 6:40 am when some youngsters tried to push through by breaking the barricades.”
He further explained, “The queue of devotees had extended up to Ashokdham Halt. Two trains had stopped at the halt. Suddenly, an electric pole fell there. The pole was located on the right side of the men’s queue. When the pole collapsed, a rumour spread that a live wire had fallen on people, but it was only a cable wire. This led to pressure on the women’s queue on the left side.
As a result, women fell on top of one another. The police administration had been present there since 3 am. The incident happened suddenly within a span of two minutes. We are at Sadar Hospital right now. All the deceased are women. We are trying to ascertain the exact number of deceased.”
#WATCH | Lakhisarai DM Shailendra Kumar says, “The queue of devotees had reached till Ashokdham Halt. Two trains had stopped at the Halt. Suddenly, an electric pole fell there. The pole was located on the right side of the mens queue. When the pole collapsed, a rumour spread… https://t.co/utto4M8r8c pic.twitter.com/Q14X6PVLmX
— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2026
The injured have been taken to a local hospital.
He added, “Those reported to be injured had actually fallen ill due to extreme humidity and suffocation caused by overcrowding. They are being treated at the hospital and are out of danger.”
Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav slammed the government over the tragedy, alleging that the lack of proper safety measures and crowd management at the temple premises “is indicative of administrative mismanagement by the NDA government.”
He expressed condolences to the bereaved families and paid tribute to the deceased. He also urged the government to provide compensation to the families of those killed and ensure prompt treatment for the injured.
However, the Lakhisarai District Magistrate said there had been no lapse in event management. As part of the police and medical arrangements, ambulances, including e-rickshaw ambulances and bike ambulances, had been stationed in advance.
“All necessary arrangements had been made as we had anticipated a sudden surge in the crowd,” he added.
State BJP chief Sanjay Saraogi said, “It is a very tragic incident. The government has ordered a high-level inquiry. The government is ensuring that those injured receive proper treatment and stands with the affected families. If there has been any negligence at any level, appropriate action will be taken.”
