DEHRADUN: The death toll in the tragic stampede at Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar has risen to eight, officials confirmed on Saturday. Vinod Kumar Suman, Secretary of Disaster Management, Uttarakhand, confirmed the update to The New Indian Express.
The stampede occurred on the pathway leading to the temple on Sunday morning, initially claiming six lives. According to preliminary reports, the chaos was allegedly triggered by a rumour of an electric current on the route, causing panic among the devotees. Several people were injured in the incident, which has cast a shadow over the religious pilgrimage.
Among the deceased is a 12-year-old boy, while a 4-year-old girl is counted among the injured, five of whom are reported to be serious.
What began as a routine spiritual journey for hundreds quickly turned into a nightmare. Devotees were making their way to offer prayers or returning after their 'darshan' when a sudden and unfounded rumour about an electric current spreading through the railing area allegedly caused immediate panic.
"It was sheer chaos. People started screaming about current, and then everyone just pushed forward," recounted Pankaj Chaurasia, a visibly shaken devotee who managed to escape the crush. "Those who fell on the narrow, crowded stairwell had no chance. People were just trampled underfoot as the crowd surged forward."
The sudden stampede transformed the temple path into a scene of utter pandemonium. Victims, once fallen, found it impossible to rise as the surging crowd inadvertently trampled them. Police sources identified the youngest fatality as 12-year-old Aarush from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.
Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police Pramendra Dobhal had confirmed the scale of the tragedy, telling TNIE: "A total of 35 people were injured in the stampede. Some critically injured individuals have been referred to higher medical centres for advanced treatment."
Despite the conclusion of the Kanwar Mela devotees' holy water offering on 23 July, lakhs of Kanwariyas and members of the general public continue to throng Haridwar. The weekend also contributed to the significant rush in the holy city.
Mahant Ravindra Puri, President of the Mansa Devi Temple Trust, offered a different perspective on the incident to TNIE, stating: "The stampede incident that occurred in the temple on Sunday morning was caused by someone slipping and falling inside the temple, not due to the rumour of a broken electric wire."
He further elaborated on the challenging crowd situation: "There are three paths leading to the Mansa Devi Temple – a ropeway, a vehicle route, and an ancient path directly from Har Ki Pauri... The police were informed when a large crowd gathered here. Barricades were put up, but still, the crowd surged upwards, and a person slipped, which led to this entire incident."
The path where the accident occurred is notoriously narrow and is typically closed entirely during major festival occasions. However, devotees were reportedly being allowed through despite Sunday's extreme congestion. As a precautionary measure, the road leading to the temple has been temporarily closed to pilgrims.
Haridwar has a grim history of such incidents, having witnessed several deadly stampedes over the past century, primarily during major religious congregations like the Kumbh Mela:
1912: Seven lives were lost during the Haridwar Kumbh Mela.
1966: Twelve people perished on Somvati Snan at the Haridwar Kumbh Mela.
1986: A devastating stampede at the Haridwar Kumbh Mela resulted in the deaths of 52 individuals.
1996: Twenty-two devotees died during Somvati Snan at the Haridwar Kumbh Mela.
2010: Seven people were killed and 11 injured during the Haridwar Kumbh Mela.
2011: Twenty lives were lost in the Haridwar Gayatri Kumbh.
