Seven devotees killed in stampede at Bihar’s Ashok Dham temple, over a dozen injured

At least seven devotees, all reportedly women, were killed and more than a dozen others injured in a stampede at the Ashok Dham temple in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district on Monday morning, as thousands gathered for prayers and Jalabhishek on the third auspicious Monday of the holy Shravan month.

The incident occurred at around 6:40 a.m. amid a heavy rush of devotees at the temple. Preliminary accounts indicate that the crowd surged after a bamboo barricade broke and an electric pole fell, triggering panic among those waiting to enter the temple premises. Authorities have launched an inquiry to establish the precise sequence of events and determine the factors that led to the stampede.

An eyewitness said that two trains full of devotees had reached Lakhisarai railway station, and the devotees, mostly women, rushed to offer sacred water to Lord Shiva at the temple on the third auspicious Monday of the month of Shrawan. The rush led to a stampede at the temple after a bamboo barricade broke and an electric pole snapped at the site, they said.

“The incident happened at 6:40 in the morning today due to a heavy rush of devotees... the barricade broke down, which triggered a sudden stampede that led to the incident... district officials were present at the site to control the situation,” said Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar, who took charge of the district in April 2026.

The Ashok Dham temple, also known as the Indradamneshwar Mahadev Temple, is a prominent Shiva shrine in Lakhisarai. The temple is located close to Lakhisarai railway station and is visible from passing trains. Bihar Tourism identifies Ashok Dham as a major Shiva temple that attracts large numbers of devotees during Sawan and Shivratri.

Four deceased identified

According to officials, four of the seven deceased have been identified as Manmala Devi, 44, Rinku Devi, 50, Hemlata Devi, 55, and Lalita Devi, 45. Manmala, Hemlata and Lalita were residents of Lakhisarai, while Rinku Devi was from Munger district.

The injured were taken to the Sadar government hospital for treatment. Three seriously injured devotees were referred to Patna for advanced medical care. Other reports put the number of injured at around 14, although officials have continued to assess the casualties.

Munger Divisional Commissioner Prem Singh Meena and Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Rakesh Kumar visited the hospital where the injured were being treated. Meena said an inquiry would be conducted into the incident and that the investigation would establish the actual causes of the stampede.

The Bihar State Board of Religious Trust has also announced a probe into the incident, with its chairman Ranbir Nandan saying a team would visit the temple.

CM announces ₹4 lakh aid

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed grief over the deaths and announced an ex gratia payment of ₹4 lakh to the family of each deceased devotee.

“The incident at Ashok Dham in Lakhisarai is tragic and heartbreaking. It has deeply saddened me. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Necessary instructions have been issued to the administration to ensure proper and prompt medical care for the injured. May God grant peace to the departed souls and a speedy recovery to those who have been injured,” he wrote on X.

Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, expressed sorrow over the incident and accused the NDA Government in the State of “not making proper security arrangements for devotees and crowd control, which shows their administrative misgovernance.”

Former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also expressed grief over the deaths. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has also condoled the loss of lives in the incident.

President Murmu condoles deaths

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday expressed her deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the stampede and extended her heartfelt condolences to the grieving families.

“The news of the deaths of devotees in the stampede in Lakhisarai district of Bihar is extremely painful. I express my deepest condolences to the grief-stricken families. I pray for the swift recovery of those who have been injured,” Ms. Murmu said in a post on X in Hindi.

The immediate focus remains on treatment of the injured and determining how the large gathering was managed. Officials are investigating the role of the crowd surge, the damaged barricading and the fallen electrical infrastructure in triggering the deadly incident.