Eight women died and 12 others were injured in a stampede situation at the Sheetala Mata temple in Bihar on Tuesday. Out of 12, six are reported to be in critical condition. The devotees had gathered at the temple in the Deepnagar police station area on the last Tuesday of the Chaitra month. There was a heavy footfall from early morning. Suddenly, a rumour began to spread and chaos erupted following the rumour. The rush intensified within seconds, causing several people to fall and get injured. The bodies of the dead were brought to the Bihar Sharif Sadar Hospital and the injured were also treated in the same hospital.
The victims were identified as Kanti Devi of Deepnagar village, Rita Devi of Sakunat locality, Rekha Devi of Mathurapur village, Kinta Devi of Bishunpur village, Revanti Devi of Muzaffara village and Malo Devi of Aarpa village. Local residents helped the Police in carrying out rescue efforts and helped the victims shift. As per local residents, no Police were present there in the area where the stampede occurred. The Prime Minister’s Office announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased and the injured would receive Rs 50,000 each.
Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar also expressed grief over the loss of lives. He also announced an ex gratia of Rs 6 lakh for the families of each deceased. He diirected authorities to ensure proper treatment of the injured and wished them speedy recovery. Meanwhile, Bihar is set to host a high-profile academic event, with President Droupadi Murmu arriving in Rajgir on Tuesday. She is going to attend the convocation ceremony of Nalanda University as its visitor and chief guest. She will address the gathering, confer degrees, and award gold medals to meritorious students.
