'Extremely painful': President Droupadi Murmu condoles 7 deaths in Bihar’s Ashok Dham temple stampede

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday expressed grief over the deaths in a stampede at the Ashok Dham Temple in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district. The incident took place during the holy month of Shravan, when thousands of devotees had gathered at the temple to offer prayers to Lord Shiva.

At least seven devotees were killed and around 12 others injured in the incident. Most of those who died were reportedly women, according to news agency PTI.

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In a post on X, President Murmu said the incident was “extremely painful” and offered condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones.

“The news of the loss of lives in the stampede at Ashok Dham Temple in Lakhisarai, Bihar, is extremely painful. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured.”

What happened at Ashok Dham Temple?

The stampede occurred at around 6:40 am on Monday as a large number of devotees gathered at the temple on the third Monday of Shravan. Officials said the crowd became difficult to control after devotees allegedly pushed through barricades while trying to enter the temple. Several people fell during the resulting crowd surge, triggering panic.

The situation may have been aggravated by a sudden inflow of devotees after two trains arrived at a nearby railway station, according to news agency PTI. There were also reports of a fallen electrical cable or pole, which may have triggered panic among those gathered. Authorities are investigating the exact sequence of events.

The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, while police and district officials launched rescue and relief operations.

Bihar government announces compensation

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed condolences over the deaths and announced ₹4 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased devotee, as reported by PTI.

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The administration has also begun examining crowd-management arrangements at the temple, including barricading, entry and exit routes and the deployment of security personnel.

Why was the temple crowded?

Ashok Dham, also known as the Indramaneshwar Mahadev Temple, is a major Shiva temple in Lakhisarai. It attracts large crowds during Shravan, particularly on Mondays, when devotees traditionally perform jalabhishek.

Monday's gathering was especially large because it coincided with the third Monday of Shravan. The combination of the religious occasion, heavy pilgrim footfall and the arrival of trains appears to have contributed to the crowd surge.