Panic at Haridwar’s Mansa Devi Temple: Rumoured Snapped Wire Sparks Stampede—8 Dead, 34 Injured

A stampede on the pedestrian route to Haridwar’s Mansa Devi temple killed eight people and injured 34 others on Saturday morning.

Haridwar district magistrate Mayur Dixit confirmed the deaths to TOI, saying, “Two individuals are in critical condition and have been referred to higher medical centres.

The rest are being treated at the district hospital.”

According to officials, the injured include 20 men, 8 women and 7 children – among them 2 boys and 5 girls.

What triggered the stampede?

The incident took place around 8.30am after an overhead power line reportedly snapped and fell onto a crowded section of the walkway, triggering panic among pilgrims.

However, authorities now say the stampede may have been triggered by a rumour rather than an actual power line failure.

“Prima facie, it seems the incident was triggered by a rumour that a power line had snapped. A detailed investigation is currently underway to determine the exact cause,” an official said.

Hospital officials said one person had sustained burn injuries due to electrocution, while the others died from injuries suffered during the stampede.

City police station in-charge Ritesh Saha said the route was densely packed when the electric line gave way.

“The sight of the wire falling caused immediate panic, and a desperate scramble to escape led to the stampede,” Saha said.

Emergency services and police teams responded swiftly. Relief and rescue operations are underway, and authorities are working to identify the deceased. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examinations.

 

‘No leakage of electric current in any assets’: Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL)

Following the incident, state power distribution company-Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) conducted an inspection of all the electrical panels and power lines at Mansa Devi before issuing a clarification claiming ‘no leakage of electric current in any of their assets’ that could have triggered the incident.

UPCL managing director Anil Kumar said, “During the inspection conducted by our personnel at Mansa Devi temple premises, the leakage of electric current was found to be zero. Also, the Low Tension lines carrying power there, are completely insulated with no bare conductors in use.”

He added, “We also found no incident of anyone suffering an electric shock or getting electrocuted. The tragic incident likely happened due to heavy and uncontrolled crowd.”

Extremely saddening: Pushkar Singh Dhami

Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy assuring all possible assistance.

“The news of a stampede at Haridwar’s Mansa Devi temple is extremely saddening. SDRF, local police and other rescue teams are on-site and engaged in relief and rescue operations,” Dhami posted on social media platform X.

“I am in constant touch with the local administration and closely monitoring the situation – I pray to Mata Rani for the well-being of all devotees,” he added.