Haridwar:
A tragic stampede on the stairway leading to Haridwar’s hilltop Mansa Devi Temple claimed six lives and injured dozens of devotees on the morning of Sunday, 26 July, according to official reports.
The incident unfolded around 8:30 a.m., amid massive crowds gathered to observe the auspicious month of Shravan. Pilgrims were making their ascent to the temple when panic erupted following rumours that an overhead electric wire had snapped or was live. One witness reportedly shouted about the falling cable, prompting a sudden scramble along the steep and narrow pathway, which triggered the deadly stampede.
Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police Parmendra Singh Dobal confirmed, “Preliminary probe suggests that panic spread after rumours about electric current. People tried to move away, which resulted in jostling, and they fell over each other”.
As of the latest tally, six devotees have been confirmed dead, and around 35 people sustained injuries. Hospital sources noted that only one victim showed burn-related injuries, while most others succumbed to trauma caused by being trampled during the rush.
Authorities say the crowd surge was worsened by structural constraints: a boundary wall on one side narrowed the escape route, creating a bottleneck that amplified the chaos.
Emergency services, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police and medical teams, reached the scene within minutes. Injured devotees were transported to the district hospital and transfer to specialised centres was arranged for critical cases. The situation was declared under control by late morning.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed distress over the tragedy, stating: “Extremely distressing news has been received. I pray to Mata Rani for the safety of all devotees.” He confirmed that rescue operations were underway and that he was in close touch with local officials.
District Magistrate Mayur Dixit announced that a magisterial inquiry had been ordered to ascertain the chain of events that led to the tragedy, including investigation into who may have spread the panic-inducing rumour.
Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) categorically denied any electrical malfunction on site. Following inspections of the power lines and equipment at the temple pathway, UPCL stated there was no leakage of current nor any report of electrocution among victims. They asserted that the incident was most likely caused by overcrowding and sheer panic rather than any real electrical threat.
Devotees and community members emphasised dangerous infrastructure conditions. Ujjwal Pandit, a priest and bystander, noted that the stairway is narrow and steep, and the adjacent wall aggravated the crowd pressure, leaving little room for evacuees to escape peacefully.
The Mansa Devi temple, perched atop Bilwa Parvat on the Shivalik Hills, is one of Haridwar’s key pilgrimage sites. The narrow, pedestrian only approach often becomes severely congested during festivals, weekends, and the holy month of Shravan, creating heightened risk during large influxes of worshippers.
Incidents like this are regrettably frequent in India, where inadequate crowd control and overloaded pilgrimage infrastructure have led to numerous tragedies. Officials urge urgent reforms in management protocols at religious sites to prevent future disasters.
