Someone Shouted "There is Electricity" on a Narrow Path
Pilgrims Rushed to Escape, Leaving 6 Dead and 29 Injured
At least six people were killed and more than 20 injured in a stampede after a large crowd of pilgrims gathered at a famous Hindu temple in northern India. On July 28 (local time), Yonhap News, citing AP and Reuters, reported that the incident occurred at around 9 a.m. at the 'Mansa Devi' temple, a renowned Hindu pilgrimage site in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, northern India, when thousands of pilgrims converged on the temple.
In June, during the celebration event for the winning team of India's most popular sport, cricket, hundreds of thousands of people gathered, resulting in 11 deaths and over 40 injuries. Photo by AFP and Yonhap News
According to reports, someone shouted "There is electricity running" as the crowd packed into a narrow path inside the temple, causing panicked pilgrims to attempt to flee all at once, which led to the stampede. A local police official explained, "A rumor spread that a devotee was injured by electric shock on the stairs about 100 meters inside the temple," and "other devotees panicked, resulting in a trampling incident at the scene." A senior official from the Uttarakhand state government told AP that at least six people were killed and 29 injured in the incident.
Immediately after the incident, police and emergency rescue teams were dispatched to the scene to carry out rescue operations, and the injured were promptly transported to nearby hospitals. The pilgrims had visited the temple to offer prayers during 'Shravan,' the fifth month of the Hindu calendar, which is considered a sacred and important religious period. Haridwar is one of India's representative religious cities, visited by millions of pilgrims each year, and the Mansa Devi temple is one of the major Hindu pilgrimage sites that can be reached either by cable car or on foot.
Especially during the Shravan period, which runs from mid-July to mid-August, it is known that thousands of people gather here daily. During this time, Hindu devotees fast or make pilgrimages to dedicate themselves to the god Shiva. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the victims and their families via social media on the same day.
India, with a population of about 1.46 billion, is the most populous country in the world, and stampedes frequently occur whenever large crowds gather in public places. In January this year, more than 30 people were killed in a stampede at the 'Kumbh Mela,' the world's largest religious festival and a Hindu celebration. In June, 11 people died and more than 40 were injured when hundreds of thousands gathered to celebrate the victory of India's most popular sport, cricket.
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