A tragic incident took place in the early hours of Monday at the historic Avshaaneshwar Mahadev Temple in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh. Thousands of devotees had gathered to offer Jalabhishek (ritual water offering) during the holy month of Sawan. Around 2 a.m., during the midnight prayers, a live electric wire fell onto the tin roof of the temple, causing a stampede-like situation.
According to officials, the wire fell due to monkeys jumping on the overhead power lines, which made one snap and drop on the tin-covered area of the temple. This area was crowded with worshippers. As soon as the wire hit the tin shed, it became electrified, sending electric shocks to people nearby.
The sudden electric shock and panic caused people to run in all directions, leading to a chaotic situation. In the stampede that followed, two people died and 32 others were injured, including women and children. Among the injured, two are said to be critical.
One eyewitness said, “There were loud cries, people were falling over each other, and no one knew what was happening.” The panic and confusion made it difficult for many to escape safely.
Police officials, who were already present at the temple for crowd control, quickly called for help. Ambulances and more security staff reached the temple within minutes. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, including Haidergarh and Trivediganj Community Health Centers, and the most critical patients were shifted to Barabanki District Hospital.
As soon as the news of the incident broke, District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi and Superintendent of Police Arpit Vijayvargiya reached the temple site. They confirmed that the panic started after monkeys jumped on a power line, which then snapped and fell on the shed.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Barabanki, Awadhesh Kumar Yadav, is overseeing the medical treatment of the injured.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also took quick action. He expressed sorrow for the lives lost and directed officials to ensure that all the injured receive proper medical care. He asked the district administration to speed up rescue and relief work and reach out to affected families.
The temple, which is centuries old, is especially crowded during the holy month of Sawan, when thousands come for darshan and offerings. Due to its spiritual importance, the site sees heavy footfall, especially on Mondays.
Locals have now raised concerns about safety, especially the lack of proper electrical maintenance and crowd management. Many are urging the authorities to conduct safety audits at temples and other major religious sites, particularly during festivals.
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Just a day earlier, a similar tragic stampede took place at Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, where six people died and over 25 were injured. The stampede happened as a massive crowd moved along the 2-km path to the temple. Panic broke out after a rumour spread that the stairway was electrified. Some devotees tried to turn back, triggering a rush in the opposite direction. This caused people to fall and suffocate in the crowd.
Authorities later confirmed that the stampede was due to panic, not electrocution.
In response, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered a magisterial inquiry and announced compensation of ₹2 lakh for each deceased person's family and ₹50,000 for those injured. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed deep sorrow over the deaths.
These two back-to-back temple tragedies have highlighted the urgent need for crowd safety planning during religious festivals. Experts say better crowd control, emergency exits, and electrical safety checks are essential at major pilgrimage sites.
As the Sawan season continues, both state and central governments are now under pressure to improve safety measures and prevent such incidents in the future.
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