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A tragic incident took place on Monday morning at the Ausaneshwar temple in the Haidergarh area of Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, where a stampede during 'jalabhishek' claimed the lives of two people and left 32 others injured.
According to officials, a group of monkeys broke a live electric wire, which then fell onto a tin shed in the temple complex. The electric current quickly spread through the shed, causing panic among the large crowd of devotees gathered for the holy month of Shravan.
People started running in all directions, leading to a stampede inside the temple premises.
As per news agency PTI, two devotees, Prashant (22) from Mubarakpura village and another 30-year-old man, died while receiving treatment at the Trivediganj Community Health Centre (CHC).
Ten people were taken to Trivediganj CHC, and five of them were referred to bigger hospitals because of serious injuries. Another 26 injured devotees were taken to Haidergarh CHC, with one of them also referred for advanced care.
Barabanki District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi confirmed that the electric wire had damaged three tin sheds in the temple. The shock and panic that followed led to the deadly stampede.
Officials from the district administration and police rushed to the spot to control the situation and help the injured. An investigation is now underway to find the exact cause and to prevent such incidents in the future.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
The Chief Minister also instructed that the injured receive proper medical treatment, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) confirmed.
Despite the tragic incident, devotees resumed their prayers at the temple later in the day, though the atmosphere remained tense.
Authorities have urged people to stay alert and avoid overcrowding in sensitive areas, especially during major religious gatherings.
Inputs from PTI
