A tragic stampede occurred near the Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar on Sunday morning around 9 a.m., following rumours of an electric shock among the crowd. The panic caused devotees to push and fall over each other, leading to chaos and screams. Eight devotees lost their lives in the incident. Rescue teams from the police and administration arrived quickly, and the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives. In a statement, he said he was pained by the deaths and extended condolences to the families of the deceased. He also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured and said the local administration is actively assisting those affected.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also expressed his condolences and stated that SDRF, local police, and rescue teams were conducting relief operations at the site. He assured the public that he is in constant touch with local officials and monitoring the situation closely. He prayed for the safety of all devotees.
Delhi’s former Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal called the incident not just a tragedy but a failure of the system. In a post on X, he termed the stampede a result of administrative negligence and demanded accountability for the lapse in crowd management.
Former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat also reacted strongly, calling the incident a matter of serious concern and demanded a thorough investigation. He said he was shocked upon hearing about the tragedy and emphasised the need to assess the safety measures at religious sites.
