Nalanda, March 31: A devastating stampede at the Sheetla Mata temple in Bihar Sharif resulted in the deaths of eight pilgrims and left eight others injured on Tuesday. Most of those killed were women who had gathered at the temple early in the morning. Local police and district administration officials arrived at the scene shortly after the incident to lead rescue efforts and begin the process of identifying the victims.
Bihar Sharif Assistant Superintendent of Police Noorul Haque stated that the crush happened as crowds swelled within the temple complex.
“At least eight devotees, mostly women, died in the stampede at Shitala Mata temple on Tuesday morning,” Haque affirmed. “Police personnel and officials of the district administration have reached the spot, and the rescue work is on.”
The incident has prompted swift administrative action, with the local SHO placed under immediate suspension. A formal statement from the district police declared that forensic teams have been engaged to assist in the investigation.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary maintained that the government is focused on providing relief to the affected families.
“The incident at Sheetla Mata Temple in Nalanda is extremely heartbreaking,” Choudhary asserted. “The government is providing every possible assistance and relief to the affected families.”
While the Prime Minister and Chief Minister have collectively pledged significant financial aid to the victims’ families, the political atmosphere remained charged. Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav declared the event a result of a failure in governance, maintaining that the deaths were preventable. Officials stated that they are continuing to monitor the condition of the injured and are working to ensure such a lapse in crowd management does not recur at religious gatherings.
