Lakhisarai, August 17: At least seven people were killed and several others injured in a stampede-like incident at the Ashokdham Temple in Bihar’s Lakhisarai on Monday morning after a massive surge in devotees.

Lakhisarai SDPO Shivam Kumar confirmed the death toll to ANI and said emergency rescue operations were launched immediately after the incident.

Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar said the crowd swelled unexpectedly, with two trains arriving at around 6.30-6.45 am, further increasing the number of devotees at the temple.

“We had anticipated the crowd and made arrangements,” the DM said, adding that the pressure of the gathering eventually led to the mishap.

According to Kumar, a section of the barricading broke under the pressure of the crowd, causing people to fall over one another. “We then came to know that the barricading broke on one side due to the crowd, and people fell on each other. We rushed 10-15 people here immediately,” he said.

Rescue and relief operations are underway, while further details on the injured are awaited.The injured have been shifted to local medical facilities for treatment. The district administration and police personnel are currently on-site to manage the remaining devotees and ensure no further untoward incidents occur.

Further investigation into the matter is underway, and more details are awaited.

Earlier, in a separate incident on August 12, a passenger bus travelling from Motihari towards Chhatarpur caught fire on the NH-27 Barji overbridge in Muzaffarpur at 12:45 am.

According to the Sub-Divisional Fire Officer of Motipur, Amrita Kumari, the fire was triggered by a short circuit in the bus and all 35 passengers were safely evacuated. (ANI)