Mansa Devi Temple stampede: How a rumour about an electric wire trampled six, injured others in Haridwar
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At least six people were killed and other 35 were left injured in a crowd surge at Haridwar's Mansa Devi Temple on Sunday, triggered by rumours of an electric current.Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said relief and rescue operations were underway. "I am constantly in touch with the local administration regarding this matter and continuous monitoring of the situation is being done," he said in a statement.Thousands of pilgrims had gathered at the Mansa Devi Temple, which is a major site for Hindu devotees, especially on weekends and festival days, were celebrating the holy month of Shravan.With people visiting the religious site in large numbers, someone in the crowd started shouting about an electric current on the pathway around 9 am, led to the chaos."We found through photos and videos that someone spread the rumour of electric wire breaking, while looking at the injured or the dead, we did not get any such indication... We will investigate who spread the rumour that caused the stampede and a magisterial inquiry will be set up investigating cameras and other means... The death of 6 people has been confirmed..." said District Magistrate Mayur Dixit says,The town of Haridwar draws millions of visitors each year. The Mansa Devi temple, which is accessible by cable car or foot, is a major pilgrimage site that draws thousands of visitors daily during Shravan.Crowd surges at religious gatherings are not uncommon in India, where massive groups often congregate at temples or pilgrimage sites, sometimes overwhelming local infrastructure and security measures.examinations.Following the incident, state power distribution company- Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) conducted an inspection of all the electrical panels and power lines at Mansa Devi before issuing a clarification claiming 'no leakage of electric current in any of their assets' that could have triggered the incident, reported ToI.'During the inspection conducted by our personnel at Mansa Devi temple premises, the leakage of electric current was found to be zero. Also, the Low Tension lines carrying power there, are completely insulated with no bare conductors in use," UPCL told ToI. 'We also found no incident of anyone suffering an electric shock or getting electrocuted. The tragic incident likely happened due to heavy and uncontrolled crowd.'Commenting on the rumours, EDC Superintending Engineer Pradeep Kumar said, "An unfortunate incident happened at Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar. We got news that it might have happened due to electric current, our team reached the site, we normally do testing every 15 days, our system is very secured, there are no naked wires, the wires are insulated here. There is no report of electrocution. We thoroughly checked our system, there is nothing like that."The tragic incident adds to the growing number of stampedes that have occurred across India in 2025. So far, over 50 people have lost their lives in similar incidents at religious sites, railway stations, and public events.On January 8, a stampede occurred at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in the Tirumala Hills, resulting in the deaths of at least six devotees and injuring many others as hundreds of worshippers pushed to obtain tickets for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam.On January 29, a stampede at the Sangam area during the Maha Kumbh claimed the lives of 30 people and left 60 others injured.Millions had gathered to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, considered one of the most sacred days in the Hindu calendar.In another major tragedy, 18 people were killed and more than a dozen were injured on February 15 at New Delhi Railway Station. The stampede broke out late at night, with most victims being Maha Kumbh pilgrims returning home.On May 3, at least seven devotees were killed and 80 were injured in a stampede during the annual 'Lairai Jatra' at Shree Lairai Devi Temple in North Goa's Shirgao village.On June 4, what was meant to be a moment of celebration turned tragic when at least 11 fans died in a stampede near Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium during the RCB victory celebration of their maiden IPL title win in 18 years.
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