Two dead as panic over electric shock triggers stampede at UP’s Barabanki temple

Two devotees died and 29 were injured in a stampede at Awsaneshwar Mahadev temple in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, early Monday. Panic erupted when a live wire fell on the temple shed during ‘Jalabhishek’, causing fear of an electric shock.

Barabanki: Two devotees lost their lives while 29 others were injured in a stampede that broke out at a temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district in the early hours of Monday.

The incident occurred at the Awsaneshwar Mahadev temple in the Haidergarh area during a religious ritual, after panic spread over an electric shock in the temple premises.

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The stampede occurred on the intervening night of July 27 and 28, when a large number of devotees had assembled for the ‘Jalabhishek’ on the third Monday of Sawan, a day considered especially sacred for worshipping Lord Shiva.

According to officials, the ritual had commenced at midnight, and by around 2 AM, the premises were packed with worshippers. The situation turned chaotic when reports of an electric shock spread among the crowd.

As per Barabanki District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi, the panic was triggered when a group of monkeys jumped onto an overhead electric wire, which subsequently broke and fell on the temple shed. This led to a sudden electric current passing through the structure, sparking fear and confusion among the devotees.

As the news of the electric shock spread, devotees rushed in all directions, resulting in a stampede. Two devotees reportedly died on the spot, while 29 others sustained injuries. The injured were promptly taken to the Haidergarh and Trivediganj Community Health Centres for treatment. Those with serious injuries were later referred to the district hospital for advanced care.

“All except one patient brought to the Haidergarh Community Health Centre have been discharged,” said Barabanki Chief Medical Officer Awadhesh Kumar Yadav. “Ten people were brought to Trivediganj CHC, of which two were declared brought dead. The remaining are stable and being treated,” he further informed.

Local police were already deployed at the temple in view of the expected crowd. After the incident, additional police forces were sent to the site to control the situation and manage the large gathering.

The tragedy in Barabanki came just a day after a similar incident occurred in Haridwar’s Mansa Devi Temple, where eight people were killed and 30 others injured in a stampede. That incident, too, was reportedly triggered by rumours of a possible electric shock, leading to chaos on the stairway leading to the temple.