A horrifying stampede at the Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar on Sunday claimed the lives of eight devotees and left 30 others injured, the police said. The incident occurred around 9 am, when hundreds of people had gathered at the temple, situated at a height of more than 500 feet atop the Shivalik hills.
Eyewitnesses deny electric shock rumours
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramendra Singh Dobal, panic ensued due to rumours of an electric current near the temple stairs, which led to the stampede. "Rumours of an electric current where the stairs to the temple begin triggered panic among people, leading to the stampede," Dobal told PTI Videos.
A stampede victim speaking to India TV refuted the claims of an electric current triggering the panic. Awadhesh, who runs a prasad (offering) shop along the pedestrian route, reported that an elderly woman fell, causing panic and triggering the stampede.
“No wire snapped, and no electric current was involved — it was merely a rumor,” he said.
No diversion plan in place; single entry route blamed
The stampede has brought the absence of a proper crowd management plan into sharp focus. Reports indicate that only one entry point to the temple was operational, leading to severe overcrowding. During previous Sawan months, a more efficient crowd control system was reportedly in place, helping to manage large inflows of devotees.
Despite the growing number of visitors, the administration continued to use a single path for both entry and exit, resulting in dangerously congested conditions on the pedestrian route, where “there was no room left even to place a foot,” as eyewitnesses described.
Chaos and panic: People rushed into shops
Eyewitnesses reported that in an attempt to escape the crowd, dozens of people crammed into small shops, with 50–60 people squeezing into a single outlet. This led to some shopkeepers fainting from suffocation.
Though the administration later removed broken wires and scattered footwear from the scene, traces of the incident remain, particularly beneath the prasad shops.
Visual evidence and clarifications on wire rumours
A walkthrough was conducted, showing the pillar that was rumored to have caused the electric shock. The wires on the pillar were found to be too high for any devotee to have reached, refuting the earlier claims.
Some people reportedly grabbed onto smaller nearby wires in panic, which may have fueled the initial rumours.
Authorities under scrutiny
The incident has brought multiple authorities under scrutiny, including the Haridwar police administration, Rajaji National Park officials (DFO), and the Mansa Devi Temple Committee/Trust.
The main priest of the temple stated that his responsibility lies only within the temple premises, while the stampede took place just 20 steps below the temple. Despite the swelling crowd, the temple committee reportedly did not alert the police in time, and only four police personnel were posted at the main temple entrance.
Since the temple lies within the boundaries of Rajaji National Park, the Forest Department was responsible for creating a proper entry-exit traffic plan, which it reportedly failed to do.
