Nalanda stampede: Eight dead as temple crowd surge sparks panic

New Delhi: At least eight people were killed and eight others injured in a stampede at the Sheetla Mata Temple in Bihar’s Nalanda district on Tuesday, in the latest in a series of crowd crush incidents that have raised fresh concerns over safety at mass gatherings in India.

The incident occurred in the Deepnagar police station area as a large number of devotees gathered for prayers on the occasion of Sheetlashtami during the month of Chaitra. A sudden surge in the crowd led to panic and chaos inside the temple premises, triggering the stampede.

District Magistrate Kundan Kumar confirmed the toll and said all injured were undergoing treatment. “Eight people died in the incident. Eight people have been brought for treatment here. Ambulances were rushed to the spot to bring them here. Rs600,000, including Rs400,000 from the Disaster Relief Fund and Rs200,000 from CM relief fund, are being provided to the bereaved families. Postmortem is underway. Of the eight deceased, 7 have been identified...All eight injured are stable,” he said.

Officials said women began collapsing due to dehydration and suffocation amid high temperatures and overcrowding after taking a ritual dip, which contributed to the panic.

“There was a massive crowd at the temple. The weather is very hot. When women were entering the temple premises after taking a holy dip in cold water, they started collapsing due to dehydration and suffocation. This led to the unfortunate incident. Our personnel were already deployed there. But there was no prior information of such a massive crowd. We have formed an SIT. FSL has reached the spot and CCTV footage is being examined. We will take action against those who are found to be negligent. Eight people died and eight were injured,” Nalanda Superintendent of Police Bharat Son said.

Rescue teams and local authorities rushed to the site, shifting the injured to nearby hospitals. A Special Investigation Team has been formed, and forensic teams are analysing CCTV footage to determine the sequence of events.

President Droupadi Murmu said, “The news of the death of many devotees in a stampede at a temple in Nalanda, Bihar, is deeply saddening. I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families. I wish a speedy recovery to all those injured.”

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan also expressed condolences, calling the incident “deeply saddened” and praying for the injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced ex gratia compensation of Rs200,000 for the families of the deceased and Rs50,000 for the injured.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced Rs600,000 compensation for the families of the victims, while state authorities said medical treatment for the injured would be covered.

The Nalanda incident adds to a growing list of stampedes across India in recent years, particularly during religious events and large public gatherings.

In 2025 alone, at least 127 people died in similar incidents, including at the Maha Kumbh, New Delhi Railway Station and public events in Bengaluru, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.