7 women devotees killed, 18 injured in stampede at Lakhi Sarai on third Monday

Lakhisarai, August 17 (ABN) Seven female devotees were killed and over 18 others injured in a stampede on the third Monday near the Ashok Dham temple premises in Lakhisarai district this morning. Police sources said that the incident took place about 400 meters west of the Ashok Dham temple complex and about 100 meters from the Ashok Dham railway station. Chaos broke out as devotees queued up to enter the temple. Due to the pressure of the crowd, the bamboo barrier broke and a large group of women fell into the water-logged area of ​​the nearby railway premises. After the pole fell, rumors of a current surge created chaos among the devotees and people started running for their lives. Meanwhile, many people fell on top of each other. Seven female devotees died in the stampede. The deceased have been identified as Saroj Devi (65), Manimala Devi (44), Himalata Devi (55), Savitri Devi (48), Suta Devi (35), Lalata Devi (50) and Rinku Devi. The injured have been admitted to Sadar Hospital and private clinics. As soon as the incident was reported, the relief and rescue team reached the spot and brought the situation under control. The bodies of the deceased were brought to the Sadar Hospital, where the post-mortem was completed. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary expressed his condolence over the death of the devotees and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased. He has instructed the officers to ensure proper and prompt treatment of the injured.
Mr. Chaudhary has directed the concerned officers to ensure proper and prompt treatment of all those injured in the stampede. He also asked the administration to take all necessary steps for relief and rescue work. Notably, the stampede took place in the morning near the Ashok Dham temple, when a large number of devotees had gathered for pooja and worship on the auspicious occasion of the third day of Savan. It is being told that many devotees got trapped in the crowd. According to the information received, 7 devotees are feared to have died in this accident, while more than 8 people have been injured. The injured were taken to Lakhi Sarai Sadar Hospital for treatment.