What caused the Bihar stampede that killed 7 in Jehanabad? Key details

Due to the fourth Monday of the holy Sawan month, the Baba Siddhnath temple witnessed a massive crowd of devotees when a stampede took place killing seven and injuring at least 16

A stampede at the Baba Siddhnath temple in Makhdumpur, in Jehanabad district in Bihar, claimed the lives of at least seven individuals, leaving 16 others injured. Out of the seven deceased, six were reportedly women.

Jehanabad District Magistrate Alankrita Pandey confirmed on Monday morning that the situation had been brought under control.

“At least seven people died and nine were injured in a stampede at Baba Siddhnath Temple in Makhdumpur of Jehanabad district. We are monitoring everything and now the situation is under control,” she informed ANI.

How did the stampede unfold?

The incident took place at Vanavar hill in the Makhdumpur block. Those who were injured were transported to nearby hospitals in Makhdumpur and Jehanabad for medical attention.

Due to the fourth Monday of the holy Sawan month, the temple had a massive crowd of devotees.

Manoj, an eyewitness to the stampede, recounted that a dispute occurred just before the stampede. “Had the administration been more vigilant, the flower vendor wouldn’t have engaged in a quarrel. A fight broke out right before us. Many of us were trapped in the crowd, and someone managed to pull me out just in time. If I had been stuck there for another minute or two, I might have died. This led to the stampede. There was no police presence at the scene; they were stationed along the route instead,” he told ANI.

In an interview with ANI, Jehanabad SHO Divakar Kumar Vishwakarma mentioned that both the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police had visited the site and were assessing the situation. He confirmed that seven people lost their lives and the administration is in touch with the families of the deceased and injured. Vishwakarma added that efforts are being made to identify the deceased, after which the bodies would be sent for post-mortem examination.

Vikas Kumar, sub-divisional officer of Jehanabad said, “All precautionary measures were in place” and that the authorities are currently “evaluating the situation”. “This is a tragic incident. All the necessary precautions were taken, and we are now reviewing the situation. Further information will be provided in due course,” he said.

The incident occurred only a few weeks after more than 120 people lost their lives during a religious gathering in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. That tragedy happened at an event dedicated to Baba Narayan Hari, also known as ‘Bhole Baba’. According to officials, the organisers had been granted permission for a gathering of 80,000, but a significantly larger number of devotees showed up, resulting in a deadly stampede.

About Baba Siddhnath temple

Baba Siddhnath Temple, also called the Shiva Temple and originally known as Siddheshwar Nath Temple, is perched atop one of the highest peaks in the Barabar Hills range.

The temple is known for its ancient inscriptions in Brahmi script, which provide valuable insights into the history of the region.

The temple dates back to the Gupta period, around the 7th century. Local folklore credits its construction to Bana Raja, the father-in-law of King Jarasandha of Rajgir.

[With inputs from ANI]