Tuesday morning at the famous Maa Sheetla Temple (Maghra) in Bihar Sharif, Nalanda district, turned to mourning when a stampede suddenly broke out among the crowd. A large crowd of devotees had gathered to worship at the temple, but in the ensuing chaos, people ran, trampling each other.
At the time of writing, nine women have died in the stampede, while several others have been injured. They have been sent to the Model Hospital, Bihar Sharif, for treatment. Upon receiving information about the incident, local administration and relief teams arrived at the scene.
Upon receiving news of the tragedy, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed his deep condolences. He stated that he was deeply saddened by the incident and has immediately ordered the acceleration of relief operations. Nitish Kumar has announced a total ex-gratia grant of ₹6 lakh for the dependents of the deceased, of which ₹4 lakh will be provided by the Disaster Management Department and ₹2 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
On the Chief Minister’s instructions, senior government officials are camping at the site, and the Health Department has been put on alert to ensure proper treatment of the injured. The government has clarified that all possible assistance will be provided to the affected families in this hour of grief.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep condolences over the stampede in Nalanda. He said that this accident is extremely tragic and he extends his deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.