A stampede at the popular Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar on Sunday morning claimed six lives and left at least 29 others injured after panic broke out among devotees following reports of an overhead electric wire collapsing along the temple path, officials said.
The incident took place around 9 am as thousands of pilgrims had gathered at the hilltop shrine during the ongoing Shravan pilgrimage, which witnesses a sharp rise in footfall on weekends and festival days.
Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey confirmed the casualties and said the stampede was triggered after devotees began scrambling for safety amid rumours of an electric current passing through a section of the temple pathway.
“The situation is now under control,” Pandey told reporters over the phone from Haridwar. “But the panic led to tragic consequences.”
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramendra Singh Doval said that 35 people were rushed to nearby hospitals, where six were declared dead. "We received information that some people were injured in the rush. Police responded immediately. The rest are under treatment," he said.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the overhead wire's collapse and to assess whether adequate crowd management and safety protocols were in place. Initial reports suggest that a combination of overcrowding and a narrow pedestrian path contributed to the chaos.
District Magistrate Mayur Dixit said, “Based on photos and videos, we found that someone spread a rumor about an electric wire snapping. However, there is no indication from the condition of the injured or the deceased to support this claim. We will investigate who started the rumor.”
The incident occurred between 9 and 9:15 am when panic erupted among thousands of pilgrims who had thronged the hilltop temple during the auspicious Shravan month. Eyewitnesses claimed that someone in the crowd shouted about an electric current on the pathway, setting off a wave of fear.
A local priest Ujjwal Pandit, associated with the Ganga Sabha, described the terrifying moments: “We heard people calling for help around 9 am. Since the path is narrow and meant only for foot traffic, confusion and panic spread instantly. Local shopkeepers and residents initially didn’t understand what was happening.”
He added, “Ambulances arrived quickly, and we helped police carry the injured. A wall along the path is also suspected to have worsened the crowd bottleneck, contributing to the stampede.”
The temple, dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi and located atop the Bilwa Parvat, is a major Hindu pilgrimage site accessible by cable car or a steep foot trail. During the Shravan month, thousands of devotees visit daily to offer prayers and seek blessings.
Sunday’s tragedy has cast a shadow over the religious town of Haridwar, which draws millions of visitors every year. Stampedes at temples and religious gatherings are not uncommon in India, where large crowds often overwhelm existing infrastructure and safety mechanisms.
The Uttarakhand government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. Local police and emergency services are continuing to monitor the area to prevent any further untoward incidents.
