LUCKNOW: At least two persons were suffocated to death and several others were rushed to hospital in a stampede at the Bankey Bihari temple in Mathura during Mangla Aarti held as part of midnight celebrations of Janmashtami.
Devotees in thousands had thronged the famous Banke Bihari temple to offer prayers and participate in the rituals, packing the temple courtyard to the brim and leaving very little room to breathe.
The incident happened at around 2 am during Mangla Arti as the cops had to restrict the entry of devotees after some started fainting inside the temple.
"During Mangla Arti at Bankey Bihari in Mathura, one devotee fainted at the exit gate of temple due to which movement of devotees was restricted. As there was huge crowd, many inside the premises were suffocated due to humidity. Two persons lost their lives," Mathura SP Abhishek Yadav said.
A video shared by local sources showed a massive crowd gathered at the Bankey Bihari temple with people gasping for air. Police were seen carrying a person, who presumably fainted due to the suffocation from overcrowding.
The entire city of Mathura was illuminating with lights on the occasion. Devotees were seen dancing in the midnight celebrations.
Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura on the occasion of Janmashtami on Friday.
"Lord Krishna arrived on this earth about 5,000 years ago from today and his 'leelas' are celebrated in every part of the country and the world even today," Adityanath said.