Mansa Devi Stampede: Shopkeepers Started Hitting Us, Say Survivors

News18

6 days ago

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Panic broke out on the steep, crowded road leading up to the Mansa Devi temple when conflicting accounts sparked confusion and fear.
In a tragic incident, 8 pilgrims lost their lives while more than 30 were injured in a stampede near the Mansa Devi temple on the morning of July 27, triggering chaos that survivors say could have been prevented. Most of the victims were from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, drawn to the temple during the ongoing Kanwar Yatra.
The panic broke out on the steep, crowded road leading up to the temple when conflicting accounts sparked confusion and fear. Some claim rumours of an electric current spreading through the area caused people to flee. Others say it started when local shopkeepers began hitting devotees with sticks to clear the way.
Vikas, a devotee from Bareilly, said the situation unraveled quickly after the temple doors were closed. 'People were returning, saying darshan was over. Then suddenly someone shouted that there was an electric current. Everyone panicked and started running," Vikas recalled.
The crush of people heading both toward and away from the temple funneled into a narrow passage near the market. Anita Kumari, who was visiting with her family, said, 'There was no space to move. Those returning shouted that the temple was closed. People got scared and started running back. Everyone began pushing."
Amid the chaos, tragedy struck. Anita lost her 13-year-old nephew in the melee. Her 5-year-old niece survived but suffered injuries. If police had been stationed there, this wouldn't have happened, she said, holding back tears. 'There was no one to control the crowd. No barriers. Nothing," Anita added.
Another woman, Nirmala, tried to shield her children by throwing herself on top of them. Her 13-year-old son died while her younger daughter suffered a fractured leg and required 14 stitches. 'I heard people screaming, 'Go back! The temple is closed!'" Nirmala recounted. But the exit was jammed. People trampled each other, she said.
Durga Devi, who had come from Bihar for darshan, said the crush near the market was intensified by people moving in opposite directions. 'Everyone was shouting. People going for darshan and those returning collided in the same spot. Suddenly, people were pushing from all sides," Durga reminisced.
But perhaps the most disturbing detail came from multiple victims who claimed shopkeepers worsened the situation. Instead of offering help, some began using sticks to disperse the crowd.
'The shopkeepers were beating people with lathis," Durga Devi said, adding, 'They could've let us into their shops to rest. Instead, they hit us. That's when people really started to panic. Whoever fell got trampled."
Soon after the stampede, Haridwar police and disaster response teams rushed to the spot and began evacuating the injured to the district hospital. The hospital quickly turned into a crisis center as families rushed in, looking for missing relatives.
Officials are yet to release a formal cause of the incident. However, survivor testimonies point to a deadly mix of poor crowd control, miscommunication, and a complete lack of emergency planning.
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