Barricades Collapsed, No Space To Even Breathe: Survivors Reveal Chilling Moments Before Nalanda Stampede

New Delhi: A visit meant for prayer turned into a desperate fight for survival at Maa Sheetla Mandir, where a sudden stampede claimed at least eight lives, most of them women, and left several others injured.

“There was a massive crowd. Four of us had come from Patna. We got separated from each other. People were trampled on…” a devotee said, recalling the terrifying moments when the crowd surged out of control.

“No Space To Even Enter the Temple”

The tragedy unfolded on Tuesday, coinciding with Mahavir Jayanti and the last Tuesday of the Chaitra month-both drawing unusually large crowds.

A devotee from Patna described the situation bluntly: “We could not even go in. Deaths occurred there, following which we were sent away. A lathi charge also took place…”

Hundreds had gathered since early morning, many fasting and standing for hours in rising heat, creating a volatile situation inside and around the temple premises.

“People Did Not Even Have Space… Some Fainted”

At the hospital, Guddu Singh pointed to how conditions worsened even before the stampede.

“…There was a massive crowd there. People did not even have the space to go inside the temple. It was very sunny and since most of the people were on an empty stomach early in the morning, so some of them experienced low BP, some others fainted. Nothing else happened…The ambulance arrived very late. Why was the ambulance not made available immediately?…”

Barricades Collapse Triggered Chaos

Locals say the situation spiralled the moment crowd control failed. Lalit Kumar, a resident, described how things turned within seconds.

“It is Mahavir Jayanti and Tuesday today, so there was a huge crowd there. The barricades broke, and suddenly a stampede occurred. People are saying that people were trampled on and deaths occurred…People are also saying that there was no Police there…”

With barricades giving way, panic spread instantly, and people began pushing in all directions, leading to several being crushed in the rush.

Rescue Delayed, Questions Mount

Police from Dipnagar Police Station reached the spot after receiving information and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals. Some remain in critical condition.

But survivors and families are raising serious concerns over the lack of police presence, delayed ambulance services, and absence of crowd control despite a predictable rush.

Compensation Announced After the Loss

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced ₹6 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief, announcing Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.

For many families, however, the announcements come after irreversible loss.

A Tragedy That Feels Repeated

India has seen this before. On November 1, 2015, a stampede at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple killed eight women and two children.

That incident too was triggered by overcrowding during a religious gathering, with devotees packed into limited space and panic turning fatal within minutes.

Same Warning Signs, Same Outcome

In Nalanda, the pattern looks painfully familiar -massive crowds, weak arrangements, and a sudden collapse of control. One broken barricade, one moment of panic and lives are lost.

Read More: Nalanda Stampede: Bihar Announces Rs 6 Lakh Ex Gratia for Victims’ Kin