Patna ISKCON Temple Sees Near-Stampede On Janmashtami As Devotees’ Rush Turns Chaotic — WATCH

Patna News: During Janmashtami celebrations, a heavy rush of devotees at the ISKCON temple led to a near-stampede, resulting in minor injuries.

A heavy rush of devotees at the ISKCON temple in Bihar's capital city Patna on Monday evening, during the Janmashtami festival, led to a near-stampede situation. Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra confirmed the incident, noting that a few devotees may have sustained minor injuries.

Speaking to reporters, SSP Mishra explained, "A huge number of devotees thronged the ISKCON temple on the occasion of the Janmashtami festival in the evening. An adequate number of security personnel had already been deployed there. We engaged more personnel when the situation turned chaotic as the devotees tried to outpace one another. It was a tough time for the security personnel. The situation was, however, immediately brought under control. It was not a full-blown stampede", news agency PTI reported.

Video clips circulating on social media depicted security personnel attempting to manage the overwhelming crowd. In the videos, several devotees were seen falling to the ground and being assisted by security forces.

"The situation is completely under control. Our top priority is to manage the rush of devotees first. Women security personnel have also been deployed in large numbers," SSP Mishra assured.

Speaking to news agency ANI, SSP Mishra reiterated the efforts to maintain order, stating, "The situation is orderly... When the crowd grew, the number of security forces was increased. All senior officers are present on the spot... The programme is going on in a very orderly manner."

Patna Administration Denies Stampede, Says 'Mild Force' Applied On Devotees

In a related statement, the Patna District administration denied any occurrence of a stampede, clarifying that "mild force was used to check those devotees who tried to enter the temple premises by breaking police barricades." The administration emphasised that the situation was "completely under control", as per PTI.

This incident comes in the wake of a stampede earlier this month at Baba Siddheshwar Nath Temple in Bihar’s Jehanabad district, where at least seven people were killed and 16 others injured. Such incidents have raised concerns about the safety measures in place during large religious gatherings.