THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Patna, March 31: A tragic Nalanda temple stampede at the Sheetla Mata Temple in Bihar on Tuesday has left at least nine people dead. The incident occurred during weekly prayers, when a large number of devotees gathered at the temple in Maghada village. According to officials, all the victims are women, and the stampede death toll in Bihar may increase further.
Victims and Rising Toll
Officials said that six victims have been identified, while efforts are underway to identify the remaining three. All the deceased are reported to be women. Authorities have warned that the toll could rise as more information emerges.
Compensation Announced
The Bihar government has announced an ex gratia of ₹6 lakh for the families of the victims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced ₹2 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the PM Relief Fund.
Security Lapses Alleged
Following the incident, the Nalanda district administration closed the temple to control the situation. Locals have alleged that there were no proper security arrangements or crowd management measures, which led to the tragedy. Devotees from Nalanda and nearby districts gather at the temple every Tuesday, leading to heavy crowds.
The Bihar Chief Secretary has been directed to initiate a probe and submit a report. Nalanda Superintendent Bharat Soni confirmed that Deep Nagar SHO Rajmani has been suspended over the incident. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed to investigate the Nalanda stampede incident.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary expressed condolences and assured full support to the affected families.