7 killed, several injured in stampede at Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar

Seven people died and dozens of devotees were injured in a stampede at the Mansa Devi temple in the holy city of Haridwar in Uttarakhand. The stampede took place on the steps of the temple.

Police said that rumours of a possible electric shock caused panic in the crowd and the stampede broke out. Garhwal Division Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said that there was a huge crowd at the Mansa Devi temple before the stampede.

In the pictures, injured devotees are being taken to the hospital in ambulances and several others are undergoing treatment. The total number of injured has been put at 55. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) of Uttarakhand Police and local police are engaged in rescue operations.

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Parminder Singh Dobal, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Haridwar initially confirmed six deaths and said, “The police force immediately reached the spot and started the rescue operation. Around 35 injured were admitted to the hospital, out of which six have been confirmed dead.

The main reason for the stampede appears to be panic triggered by rumours about electrocution. The tragedy occurred during the holy Hindu month of Sawan, which sees a rush of devotees at all the pilgrimage sites in the city.