Patna, March 31: A tragic incident occurred at the famous Mata Sheetala temple in Nalanda, the home district of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, during the Maghda Mela on Tuesday. A sudden stampede resulted in the deaths of seven individuals, with reports indicating that a majority of the deceased were women.
More than twelve others sustained injuries in the chaos. It is reported that a large crowd had gathered at the temple for worship on the last Tuesday of Chaitra when the stampede broke out. Panic ensued as people rushed in all directions, leading to many being trampled.
Local residents have accused the authorities of failing to implement crowd control measures, despite the regular influx of devotees every Tuesday. Following the incident, senior district officials, including the SDPO, arrived at the scene to initiate rescue operations, and the worship activities have been halted. The injured have been sent to hospitals for treatment.
Witnesses noted that the temple and fair were overcrowded. Locals mentioned that there is often no orderly queue, as everyone tries to enter the temple first, which contributed to the stampede. The community is expressing outrage, attributing the incident to administrative negligence.
Additionally, President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to visit Bihar on March 31, where she will attend a convocation ceremony at Nalanda University in Rajgir, expected to be attended by students and scholars from across the country and abroad.