Nalanda Stampede: Bihar Govt Announces Rs 6 Lakh Ex Gratia for Victims’ Families

Nalanda: The Bihar Government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 6 lakh each for the families of those killed in the stampede at the Maa Sheetla Temple in Nalanda on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Rs 4 lakh will be provided from the Disaster Management Department and an additional Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the next of kin of each deceased.

The announcement came hours after a tragic stampede during a weekly fair at the temple left multiple devotees dead and several others injured. The incident was reportedly triggered by severe overcrowding, with hundreds of people gathered for worship.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary also expressed condolences and assured full government support to affected families. In a post on X, he said the incident was “extremely heartbreaking” and added that arrangements have been made to ensure proper treatment of the injured.

"The tragic stampede incident at the Mata Sheetla Temple in Nalanda is extremely heartbreaking. I express my condolences to the families of all the devotees who lost their lives and were injured in this accident. The government is providing every possible assistance and relief to the affected families. Arrangements have been made for the proper treatment of the injured. May God grant peace to the departed souls and provide strength to the grieving families during this hour of sorrow. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured," he wrote.

Currently, in view of the gravity of the situation, shops set up at the fair in the surrounding area have been ordered to close down. Police personnel have been deployed in the area to bring the situation under control. The injured are undergoing treatment at nearby medical facilities.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic, with people running helter-skelter to escape the surge. Some devotees alleged that inadequate police deployment and crowd management contributed to the chaos. A devotee, Reena Roy, said that despite a designated queue system, many people tried to bypass it, leading to the stampede. She also flagged administrative lapses, noting that the fair is a regular Tuesday event.

Some said the incident occurred due to an insufficient deployment of police personnel.

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