A devastating stampede at the revered Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar claimed the lives of seven devotees and left at least 55 others injured on Saturday. The incident occurred on the stairway leading to the main temple complex, as a surge of pilgrims gathered to offer prayers during the holy Hindu month of Sawan.
According to Garhwal Division Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, an unusually large crowd had assembled when chaos erupted. Police reports suggest rumours of an electric current on the temple road sparked mass panic, causing people to rush uncontrollably and leading to the stampede.
Visuals from the site showed injured devotees being taken to hospitals, while others received on-site first aid. Emergency services, including the Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local police, quickly launched rescue and relief operations.
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Haridwar SSP Pramendra Singh Dobal confirmed the early death toll at six, which was later updated to seven. “The police force reached the spot immediately and began the rescue operation. Around 35 injured people were admitted to the hospital, out of which six deaths have been confirmed. The main cause behind the stampede appears to be panic triggered by rumours about an electric current,” Dobal stated.
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Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who is monitoring the situation closely, said, “It is extremely distressing to receive news of a stampede on the route to the Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar. @uksdrf, local police, and other rescue teams have reached the site and are engaged in relief and rescue operations.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered his condolences, saying, “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to a stampede on the route to Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.”
A survivor from Bihar recounted his trauma, stating that a sudden swell in the crowd led to pushing and shoving. In the chaos, he fell and fractured his hand.
The tragedy unfolded as Kanwariyas and other devotees thronged Haridwar during Sawan, a peak pilgrimage season that draws lakhs to the holy city to collect Ganga water and visit Shiva temples.
