A quiet village shrine in Bihar’s Nalanda district turned into a scene of tragedy on Tuesday morning, as a sudden surge of devotees led to a deadly stampede that claimed at least eight lives and left several others injured. The incident unfolded at the Sheetla Mata Temple
in Maghra village during special prayers marking the last Tuesday of the Chaitra month, an occasion that draws large crowds every year.Hours later, the shock lingered. Sitting outside the temple, 75-year-old Shyam Kishore Singh watched senior officials move in and out of the premises, struggling to process what had happened. “I am 75 years old. I have heard stories from my father and grandfather going back another 75 years, but I have never seen or heard of anything like this,”
The Indian Express quoted him as saying.
According to police, the stampede occurred after overcrowding spiralled out of control during the early morning prayers. A fair being held alongside the religious gathering added to the already heavy footfall. Seven of those who died were reportedly residents of Nalanda, while one victim was from neighbouring Nawada district. “Eight devotees have died, and eight others have been injured in this unfortunate incident,” police said in a statement.
Eyewitnesses described how the situation deteriorated rapidly. Devotees had begun arriving as early as 2 am, with temple bells signalling the start of rituals. As the morning progressed, the crowd thickened near the steps leading to the inner sanctum. The turning point, many said, came when several women fell near the entrance, triggering panic in the tightly packed crowd.
According to The Indian Express, Rudra Singh, a local resident, observed, “No one looks down; everyone keeps looking at the temple while moving forward. If they had looked down, they would have realised that someone had fallen or that something was happening.” Another witness, Manoj Kumar, added, “Some women fell on the steps before entering. People behind kept pushing to go inside. Then one after another, people started falling.”
Inside the temple complex, confusion reigned. “There were people lying over each other. Nobody understood what was happening. Everyone just kept pushing forward as space opened up,” said Dinesh Prasad, recalling the chaos.
Local residents were among the first to step in for rescue efforts. Abhay Kumar, who helped pull victims out, said, “When we entered, people were piled up. We started pulling them out one by one.” He added, “We tried CPR on those we found unconscious. Two regained consciousness, but others did not respond.”
Several locals alleged that the emergency response was hampered by severe congestion on approach roads. Encroachments and the sheer volume of people delayed ambulance access. “It took nearly an hour for ambulances to come in from the main road. The roads were completely blocked. Only after we pushed people aside could three to four ambulances get through,” said Rajesh Kumar.
As word spread, villagers mobilised to assist. “We heard around 9 am that people had died. When we reached, there was a huge crowd inside. We gathered people and went in to pull out the injured and the unconscious,” said Sunil Kumar.
The tragedy has raised serious concerns over crowd management at the temple, which witnesses heavy footfall every Tuesday and during festivals. Nalanda Superintendent of Police Bharat Soni said the administration had not received prior information about the scale of the gathering. “No written request was submitted regarding crowd management,” he reportedly said.
Residents, however, pointed to deeper systemic gaps. “There is usually no regular police presence here. Only when there is an application for an event does deployment happen. Otherwise, locals manage things themselves,” said Rakesh Kumar. Others flagged space constraints, with shops within and around the temple complex narrowing movement pathways during peak gatherings.
Officials said they reached the site soon after being alerted, and the injured were shifted to Sadar Hospital. Outside the hospital, grief and anger were palpable, with some families questioning the preparedness of authorities despite what they described as a predictable surge in crowds.
One of the injured, Pankaj Kumar, recounted the ordeal: “Around 20 to 25 people fell on top of me. It was taking more than two hours to move just 50 metres in the line.” Another devotee, Sita Devi, noted that locals often avoid peak hours. “People from outside generally come on such days. Local residents usually avoid the rush and come later in the evening,” she said.
The state government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 6 lakh for the families of each deceased victim, Rs 4 lakh from the Disaster Management Department and Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also expressed condolences and ordered an inquiry into the incident.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by senior police officials, has been constituted to probe the circumstances leading to the stampede. CCTV footage is being examined, and a forensic team has inspected the site. The Station House Officer of the local police station has been suspended.
Authorities identified the deceased as Malo Devi (36), Krinta Devi (48), Rita Devi (50), Kranti Devi (50), Devanti Devi (35), Rekha Devi (45), and Gudiya Devi (35), all from Nalanda, and Asha Devi (65) from Nawada.
By evening, the temple premises and adjoining fair area had been cleared, with police deployed to maintain order. While officials maintained that the situation was under control, for many residents, the day marked an unprecedented tragedy.
