Haridwar, July 27: At least six people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede at the Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, on Sunday morning, after panic broke out among devotees on the steep stairway leading to the shrine, officials said.
The incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. local time when a large crowd gathered at the footpath route to the hilltop temple, a revered Hindu pilgrimage site. Conflicting eyewitness accounts suggest the chaos was triggered by a rumour about a live electric wire on the path, while some reports said a high-voltage line may have snapped and fallen, prompting a sudden rush.
“Initial inputs reveal that there was no electric current at the site. It was a rumour that led to panic… The exact cause is under investigation,” Haridwar District Magistrate Mayur Dixit told reporters. He added that a magisterial inquiry has been ordered.
Rescue operations began immediately, with teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, and emergency services rushing to the scene.
“We dispatched three teams to the site as soon as we received information about the stampede,” said SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvansi.
Authorities confirmed six fatalities and said between 10 and 35 people had been injured, some critically. One person may have died from electrocution, according to local media reports. Injured pilgrims were taken to nearby hospitals and higher medical centres for treatment.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos on the narrow uphill path, which is only accessible by foot.
“Since it’s a path you can only access by foot, there was immediate chaos… Local traders helped ferry the injured,” said Ujjwal Pundit, a teerth purohit associated with the Ganga Sabha. He also said a nearby boundary wall may have contributed to the crowd crush.
“After the incident, the temple gates were closed and all pilgrims were asked to return,” said a pilgrim from Uttar Pradesh.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed condolences and said he was monitoring the situation closely.
“Deeply saddened by the tragic news… SDRF, local police, and other rescue teams are on the spot. I am in constant touch with the administration,” Dhami said on social media platform X.
Senior Uttarakhand official Vinay Shankar Pandey said the situation was now under control, but acknowledged that panic led to “tragic consequences.”
The Mansa Devi Temple, located atop Bilwa Parvat in the Shivalik Hills and about 3 km from Har-Ki-Pauri, is one of the most visited temples in the region, drawing millions of pilgrims annually.
Stampedes at religious sites are a recurring concern in India, where large gatherings often overwhelm local infrastructure. Earlier this year, three people were killed during a festival in Odisha, while a fire-walking ritual in Goa in May left six dead. In January, a crush at the Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh killed at least 30.
