Barabanki, July 29: Two people were killed and at least 32 others injured in a stampede at a temple in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state on Monday after a live electric wire, reportedly damaged by monkeys, fell onto a tin shed crowded with devotees, officials said.
The incident occurred at the Avsaaneshwar temple in Barabanki district during the holy month of Shravan, when large numbers of devotees gather for ‘jalabhishek’ — a ritual offering of water. Authorities said panic ensued after the electric wire came into contact with metal roofing in the temple premises, sending current through the structure and sparking chaos among worshippers.
“Monkeys damaged an electric wire, which fell on the tin sheds. As current spread through the sheds, people panicked, causing a stampede in which two people lost their lives and more than two dozen were injured,” Barabanki District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi said in a statement.
One of the deceased was identified as Prashant, 22, a resident of Mubarakpura village under the Lonikatra police jurisdiction. The injured are receiving treatment at the Trivediganj Community Health Centre, officials said.
The tragedy comes a day after another fatal stampede in Haridwar, where eight pilgrims died following a surge along the stairway route to the hilltop Mansa Devi temple. In that case, panic was reportedly triggered by rumours of an electric current near the stairs.
The two back-to-back incidents have raised concerns about crowd management and electrical safety at major pilgrimage sites, particularly during high-traffic religious festivals. Local authorities have launched an investigation into the Barabanki incident and are reviewing safety protocols at other temples in the region.
