Stampede at Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar: 8 Dead, Over 30 Injured

A tragic stampede occurred at the Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar on the morning of July 27 at around 9:15 AM. The incident claimed the lives of eight people and left more than 30 injured.

The temple is located atop a hill and requires devotees to climb around 800 steps. According to eyewitness Santosh Kumar, the incident took place when only about 25 steps remained to reach the temple.

The crowd was extremely heavy on that day. During the rush, some individuals tried to move forward by holding onto an iron wire. Some parts of the wire were damaged, and rumors quickly spread that it had become electrified. This led to widespread panic, and several people fell on the stairs, resulting in fatalities and injuries.

However, Haridwar Police have dismissed the rumor of an electric current as false. Vinay Shankar Pandey, Commissioner of Garhwal Division, stated that the incident was due to overcrowding. Haridwar SSP Pramendra Singh Dobal reported that 35 people were injured in the stampede, out of which 8 succumbed to their injuries after being taken to the hospital.