Bihar Tragedy: Seven Devotees Killed, Several Injured In Stampede At Lakhisarai's Ashok Dham Temple

Lakhisarai: At least seven devotees were killed and more than a dozen were injured in a stampede at Ashok Dham Temple in Lakhisarai, Bihar on Monday when an electric wire was reportedly snapped, triggering a panic of the crowd. The incident occurred during the third Monday of the Shravan month. 

Where did the incident happen?

A stampede at Ashokdham temple in Lakhisarai in Bihar's Narkati, Monday morning, killed at least seven people and injured several others. The incident happened at around 6:45 am when a large number of devotees gathered at the Shiva temple to offer prayers on the third Monday of the holy Shravan month

Four out of the seven victims were identified as Hemlata Devi, Lalita Devi, Rinku Devi and Manmala Devi. Efforts are on to identify the three others.

VIDEO | Bihar: Stampede-like situation at Ashok Dham Temple in Lakhisarai; several injuried.

A devotee says, "There were women standing in a queue. Around 10-12 women pushed their way in and started pushing us. We fell, and around 20-25 women fell on top of one another. Many… pic.twitter.com/ecaqF5VeQj

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 17, 2026

What is the reason of stampede?

According to initial information, the falling wire sparked panic among devotees, following which a stampede broke out at the temple premises.

During that time, some were caught in the rush and injured, and later were taken to the Lakhisarai hospital for treatment.

What did the officials say?

In his statement, Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar explained that the preparations had been made and a large crowd of people was expected, but the crowd turned "unprecedented. The DM said that a portion of the barricade collapsed under the crowd, leading to people falling over each other.

We were informed that barricades were erected on one side because of the number of people and this resulted in a fall on one another. Immediately we rushed 10-15 people here, Kumar said.

What did Bihar CM say?

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said the loss of life was "extremely heart-wrenching and tragic.

लखीसराय के अशोकधाम की घटना अत्यंत दुःखद एवं हृदयविदारक है।

हादसे में श्रद्धालुओं की मृत्यु की खबर से मन व्यथित है। शोक संतप्त परिवारों के प्रति मेरी गहरी संवेदनाएं हैं।

घायलों के समुचित एवं त्वरित इलाज के लिए प्रशासन को आवश्यक निर्देश दिए गए हैं। ईश्वर दिवंगत आत्माओं को शांति…

— Samrat Choudhary (@samrat4bjp) August 17, 2026

He offered condolences to the families of the deceased and that the government had been instructed to treat the wounded properly and promptly.