A stampede-like incident at Ashok Dham temple in Lakhisarai district, Bihar, on Monday kills at least six people, with officials also reporting more than a dozen injuries. The incident occurs during the Shravan (Sawan) period as large numbers of devotees gather for darshan.
Accounts from outlets describe a chaotic surge on the road linking Ashokdham railway station to the temple, where devotees wait in queues. One report says an electricity pole falls on the route shortly before the stampede and rumors spread that people were being electrocuted, prompting panic and running. Another account attributes the deaths to a heavy rush of devotees to offer water to Lord Shiva, with crowd pressure contributing to crush-like conditions.
Officials cited in the reports say the crowd swells early in the morning and that barricading along the route collapses as people fall over one another. Different sources give slightly varying death tolls—six in one report, and six to seven in others—while rescue and relief operations are underway and authorities warn the number could change. The incident is also reported as coming months after a separate deadly stampede in Bihar involving thousands of devotees.
