Bihar : 8 women killed in stampede at Maa Sheetla Mandir in Nalanda
A rumour of a short circuit triggered panic among devotees, exposing gaps in crowd management during a major religious gathering.
NALANDA- A day of devotion turned into a scene of horror on Tuesday morning, March 31, 2026, as a massive stampede at the Maa Sheetla Mandir in Maghra village claimed the lives of at least eight women and left more than 15 others injured.
The tragedy unfolded around 6:30 AM on the final Tuesday of the Chaitra month, an auspicious day that traditionally draws tens of thousands of devotees to the historic temple. Eyewitnesses reported that the temple premises were severely overcrowded, with queues stretching several hundred metres.
The chaos reportedly began following a sudden rumour of a short circuit near the main sanctum. The ensuing panic caused a desperate surge toward the narrow exit points. In the melee, several women—many of whom were fasting—fainted due to the heat and exhaustion, leading to a deadly crush as the crowd moved over them.
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All eight deceased were women, most of whom died from asphyxiation and internal injuries. Local villagers were the first to respond, pulling victims from the crush before personnel from the Deepnagar Police Station arrived to cordoned off the area.
The injured were rushed to the Model Hospital and the Bihar Sharif Sadar Hospital. While most are reported to be stable, at least three individuals remain in critical condition.
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Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed deep grief over the incident and immediately ordered a high-level inquiry headed by the Divisional Commissioner and the DIG.
The Bihar government has announced an ex gratia of ₹6 lakh for the families of each deceased.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences via social media and sanctioned ₹2 lakh for the kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the PMNRF.
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Anger is mounting among locals who allege that the district administration failed to anticipate the crowd size despite the known significance of the date. “There were no separate entry and exit points, and the number of police personnel on duty was woefully inadequate for a crowd of this scale,” said a local volunteer.
The district administration has temporarily closed the temple to the public and suspended the ongoing village fair until further notice to prevent any further escalation of the situation.
