(MENAFN- IANS) Patna, Aug 12 (IANS) Jehanabad Police in Bihar on Monday said that a quarrel between flower sellers and devotees led to the stampede which killed seven people, including five women and two children at the Baba Sidheshwar Nath temple in Jehanabad.
The stampede occurred around 1 a.m. on Monday at the temple located in Warnavar village under the jurisdiction of Makhdumpur police station.
An official said that over 60,000 devotees had gathered at the temple, situated approximately 2 kilometres from the foothill of the mountain, to offer water on the Shivling of Lord Shiva on the fourth Monday of the Sawan month.
“The stampede took place after a quarrel erupted between devotees waiting in line and flower sellers outside the temple. The quarrel quickly led to panic and chaos, resulting in the stampede that claimed seven lives,” the police investigation reveals.
Police said that the authorities responded swiftly, took control of the situation and deployed additional police forces and civil magistrates to the temple area.
“The ongoing investigation has confirmed that the altercation between local flower sellers and devotees was the primary cause of the stampede,” the police said.
Police added that along with the local administration are continuing to monitor the situation to prevent further incidents.
“The challenging geographical location of the Baba Sidheswar Nath temple, situated on a mountain with a narrow approach road also contributed to the sudden and tragic stampede,” the police said.
It said that despite the difficult circumstances, police personnel and magistrates acted swiftly to control the situation and minimise casualties.
“We are working to identify the flower sellers involved in the quarrel that triggered the stampede. A joint investigative team, led by SDO and SDPO rank officers, has been formed to probe the incident,” said Jehanabad District Magistrate, Alankrita Pandey.
He said that the district administration successfully rescued 16 injured persons from the scene, admitting them to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Makhdumpur.
“Ten of the injured have since been discharged after receiving preliminary treatment,” he said.
The deceased have been identified as Poonam Devi, Nisha Kumari, Sushila Devi, Neeta Devi, Raju Kumar, Pyare Paswan, and one unidentified individual.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those injured.
Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition, also expressed his condolences over the incident.
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