- At least 15 people died in two separate incidents in eastern India
- Eight were killed in a hotel fire, while seven died in a temple stampede
- Authorities are investigating the incidents and supporting affected families
At least 15 people have died in two separate incidents in eastern India as thousands of Hindu devotees gathered to mark the final Monday of the sacred Shravan month dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that eight people lost their lives after a fire broke out at a hotel in Tarapith, West Bengal, while another seven pilgrims were killed in a stampede at a Shiva temple in neighbouring Bihar.
The victims of the hotel fire had travelled to Tarapith to worship as part of the religious observances marking the end of Shravan. Authorities had yet to establish what caused the blaze.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed sympathy with the families of those who died, describing the incident as a devastating loss.
In Bihar, the stampede occurred at the Ashok Dham temple in Lakhisarai district, leaving seven people dead and 19 others injured.
District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar said panic erupted among worshippers after reports circulated that an electric pole had collapsed inside the temple compound.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary described the deaths as deeply distressing and announced compensation of 400,000 rupees ($4,180) for each bereaved family.
Large religious gatherings in India have frequently been affected by deadly crowd incidents, with inadequate crowd control often contributing to the tragedies.
In one of the country’s worst recent religious disasters, 120 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh in 2024 when a huge gathering of devotees descended into chaos.
